When Pictures Make History

The Nazi Propaganda Machine
Cameramen working for the Third Reich use cinema and still photography to extol the achievements of the Third Reich. Much like the Soviets, Hitler understood well the power of imagery, but by the time he ascended to power in 1933, the tools available to create propaganda were far more diverse and sophisticated than ever before. Filmmakers like Leni Riefenstahl created feature length films in praise of the Nazis, while photographers like Heinrich Hoffman, one of the führer's personal photographers, specialized in images of the Nazi leader at work and at rest. Hoffman made the above photo at a 1934 Nazi rally in Buckeberg.

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