The portrait of Hitler, though, is severely present since the midnineties the depiction of Hitler has catalogue, on the other hand – showing a picture of to house 50,000 spectators. While the modern
in public space when you look at front pages of become more ironical, due to parodistic movies, Hitler at one of his earliest mass declarations, the architecture for the documentation center tries to
magazines and comics, at film posters or satirical comedies, comics, and later to the World Wide Web, May 1st rally at Berlin Tempelhof Airfield 1933 – “break” the megalomanic Nazi architecture, the
event announcements which are posted at kiosks its networks and its YouTube distribution. In the added the aforementioned subtitle to the black and exbibition “Fascination and Terror” applies a design
and advertising columns. Since the mid-sixties, 1980es and 1990es you could get the impression white photo with a vibrant, eye catching red bar. which strongly relies on the above-mentioned
especially in the 1990s, Hitler appeared on the that Germany was seized by a kind of Hitler mania, Black, White and Red were the colours of the Nazi colours Black, White and Red, and on dramatic light
title-page of the news magazine “Der Spiegel” meant with critical subtitle (of course?). banner (which is said to have been designed by Hitler effects which bring to mind the light installations by
himself), reproduced in countless items. The public Hitler’s architect Albert Speer, also in action on the
more often than any other person. Yes, Hitler sells!
It is easily forgotten that all those Hitler portrait However, things become more complicated when space in Germany was black, white and red, when it Nuremberg Nazi Party Rally Grounds at that time.
photos are a product of strictly controlled Nazi we ask about the uses of Nazi symbols to make came to Nazi manifestations. Another example, completing this little reflection,
propaganda, motives that were presented in the Nazi exhibitions in an enlightening sense. The first years showing him as he wanted to be seen: as a significant exhibition on “Hitler and the Germans” This calls attention to a more subtle use of Nazi 1938-1945” in 2013, which brought together
succesful party leader, statesman, field commander, was presented by the German Historical Museum symbols, widening the scope of the term “symbol”. many museums and initiatives dealing with the
demagogic speaker, leader in touch with the people, Berlin in 2010. The subtitle “Volksgemeinschaft Some documentary exhibitions play with the history of Berlin during the Nazi time. All over the
with subtle awsome or even demoniac shaping, and Verbrechen” (people’s community and crime) fascination which comes from the connotations city you could see advertising pillars and bulletin
mostly taken by the “photographer of the Führer” underlined the critical approach. The posters for that we connect to this colour combination – boards advertising the decentralised projects and
Heinrich Hoffmann. this exhibition which were presented in the public perhaps even unconsciously. One controversially exhibitions in Black, White and Red. This attracted
space confined themselves to a sober, purely discussed example is the main exhibition in the much public attention, but also caused protests from
Those cover pictures have definitely contributed scriptural design. The exhibition team discussed this Documentation Centre Nazi Party Rally Grounds some of the participating groups who rejected the
to reproducing the Hitler myth in the post war era thoroughly, but rejected the idea of a Hitler picture in Nuremberg. It opened in 2001 in the so-called idea of placing their project under the speculative
and transfering it into the present and future. Only in subways and all over the city. The title of the Congress Hall, designed by the National Socialists ideas of some external designers.
Picture: Imperial Eagle with Swastica at the “Führer’s Building” in Munich;
picture taken in the Munich Documentation Centre for the History of Nation-
al Socialism | Stefanie Endlich (S.E.) The empty space at the former “Führer’s Building”, today University of Music
and Performing Arts | S.E. Blank space at the facade of the Luther Church in Hamburg-Wellingsbüttel where
the shape of the former Swastica can still be seen today | S.E. Permanent exhibition in the Documentation Centre Nazi Party Rally Ground,
Nuremberg | S.E.
Observing Memories
ISSUE 1
is the project “Diversity Destroyed – Berlin 1933-
40
Cover picture of the catalogue
“Hitler and the Germans”,
Deutsches Historisches Muse-
um, Berlin 2010 | S.E.
Ceramic tiles at the triumphal arch in the Martin Luther Memorial Church in Ber-
lin, with voids at those places where National Socialist insignia had bee before
1945 | Mechthild Wilhelmi / Endlich, Geyler-von Bernus, Rossié
Observing Memories
ISSUE 1
One of the advertising pillars of the project “diversity
Destroyed”, Berlin 2013 | S.E.
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