Third Reich Press Photograph, the New Chairman of the German National Reichstag Faction Schmidt April 17, 1933

This press photograph from the Third Reich documents a significant moment in the early phase of the National Socialist seizure of power: the appointment of the new chairman of the German National Reichstag faction on April 17, 1933. Such press photographs were a central instrument of political communication and propaganda during the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1945.

The German National People's Party (DNVP) played a crucial role in the Nazis' rise to power. As a conservative-nationalist party of the Weimar Republic, the DNVP under the leadership of Alfred Hugenberg had significantly contributed to the formation of the “Harzburg Front” in October 1931, an alliance of right-wing forces against the Weimar Republic. After Adolf Hitler's appointment as Reich Chancellor on January 30, 1933, the DNVP participated in the “Government of National Concentration” and provided several ministers.

April 1933 marked a phase of intense political upheaval. Following the Reichstag Fire of February 27, 1933, and the subsequent Reichstag Fire Decree as well as the Enabling Act of March 23, 1933, Germany was already on its way to dictatorship. The National Socialists began systematically eliminating all political opponents and marginalizing even their conservative coalition partners.

Press photographs like this one were controlled and distributed through the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda under Joseph Goebbels. The photographic documentation of political events served multiple purposes: on one hand, it was meant to maintain the appearance of democratic normalcy; on the other, it legitimized the new order and accustomed the population to the new rulers. Photographs were centrally distributed through press agencies such as Scherl, Hoffmann, or the German News Bureau (DNB) to newspapers and magazines.

The technical characteristics of the photograph – the format of approximately 13 x 18 cm – correspond to the standard for press photos of that era. This size was ideal for reproduction in newspapers while allowing sufficient detail clarity. The “used condition” suggests that the photo was actually employed in an editorial office, possibly bearing annotations, stamps, or other processing marks.

The significance of the German National Reichstag faction declined rapidly during 1933. The DNVP came under increasing pressure and lost its independence. In June 1933, many members defected to the NSDAP under pressure, and on June 27, 1933, the German National Combat Front, as the DNVP had called itself since May, effectively dissolved itself. Hugenberg had already resigned as Minister of Economics on June 29, 1933.

Such historical press photographs are important sources for historical scholarship today. They document not only the depicted persons and events but also the media staging of politics under National Socialism. The reverse sides of such photos often bear stamps, handwritten notes, or printed captions that provide additional information about origin, date, and purpose of use.

From a collecting and evaluation perspective, press photographs from the Third Reich are ambivalent objects. On one hand, they possess historical documentary value; on the other, they were instruments of Nazi propaganda. Their preservation and study serves historical investigation but requires responsible handling. Museums, archives, and research institutions collect such materials as primary sources for the history of National Socialism.

This photograph fits into a larger collection of visual testimonies of Gleichschaltung – the process through which the National Socialists brought all areas of society under their control. The documentation of changes in the German National faction in April 1933 exemplifies how quickly traditional conservative forces lost their power and were either integrated into or displaced by the National Socialist system.