Third Reich Press Photo: Hindenburg

The present object is a press photograph from the era of the Third Reich depicting Reich President Paul von Hindenburg. With dimensions of approximately 13 x 18 centimeters, it corresponds to the standard format for press photos of that era. The inscription on the reverse is typical of authentic press images distributed by official agencies or news services.

Paul von Hindenburg (1847-1934) was one of the most important political figures in early 20th-century German history. As a Prussian Field Marshal, he gained national fame during World War I, particularly through his victory at the Battle of Tannenberg in August 1914. From 1925 until his death in 1934, he served as the second Reich President of the Weimar Republic. His decision on January 30, 1933, to appoint Adolf Hitler as Reich Chancellor proved momentous for German and European history.

Press photographs in the Third Reich served as an important instrument of propaganda and information control. After the seizure of power in 1933, the entire German press was synchronized (Gleichschaltung). The Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda under Joseph Goebbels strictly controlled which images could be published. Press photos were distributed by official agencies such as the Scherl Picture Service, the German Press Photo Center, or the Hoffmann Agency.

The reverse inscriptions on such photographs typically contained information about the depicted subject, the date of the photograph, the photographer, and often a stamp from the distributing agency. These inscriptions are of great value for historical research, as they establish authenticity and enable precise classification of the image.

Hindenburg photographs were particularly significant during the transition period from 1933 to 1934. The Nazi leadership used the prestige of the aging Reich President to lend legitimacy to their own rule. Images showing Hindenburg and Hitler together – such as at the famous “Day of Potsdam” on March 21, 1933 – were especially effective for this strategy. After Hindenburg's death on August 2, 1934, Hitler merged the offices of Reich President and Reich Chancellor and assumed the title “Führer and Reich Chancellor.”

The 13 x 18 cm format was a standard format for press photographs and met the practical requirements of newspaper production at the time. Photos were frequently printed on special photographic paper and distributed to editorial offices. Newspapers and illustrated magazines such as the “Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung,” the “Völkischer Beobachter,” or the “Illustrierter Beobachter” used such images for their reporting.

Today, such press photographs are important historical documents. They document not only the depicted persons and events but also the manner in which the Nazi regime shaped its public image. Collectors, historians, and archives preserve these materials as part of historical memory. The used condition of the present photograph suggests that it was actually employed in journalistic practice, which increases its documentary value.

When evaluating such objects, historical contextualization is crucial. They serve education and research about a dark epoch of German history and should not be understood as glorification, but as testimonies of a time whose understanding is indispensable for political education.