"Christmas presents a time for people to come together and celebrate. And while it is horrible to imagine that happy sentiment extending into one of the most horrible genocidal groups throughout history, recently-released pictures give viewers a glimpse into their holiday festivities. LIFE magazine released a series of photos from a Nazi Christmas party in 1941, right during the beginnings of World War II when they sent Jews, homosexuals and gypsies away to their death at concentration camps. The pictures show the group's leader Adolf Hitler sitting with a furrowed brow at a formal dinner party for Nazi officers held in Munich. That picture, showing Hitler's hands grasped at his mouth as he sits quietly next to a peer, was the only one of the group that LIFE originally ran. The caption they ran alongside it, when it as published in 1941, said that 'though he dominated his officers and came to despise them, Hitler never felt socially at ease with them -- they had better backgrounds and education. He never invited them to dinner, aware that they looked down on the old comrades he liked to have around'. The December 18, 1941 event was held at the Löwenbräukeller beer hall, and it was decorated for the season. " Eeriest Christmas party ever: Pictures show haunting Nazi celebration at the beginning of World War II | Mail Online
Interesting and pretty rare pics I suppose. I only recall some such photos as Hitler visited units and had a Xmas dinner with the soldiers early in the war, but other than that I would think he did not spend Xmas or give presents for Xmas, or perhaps I am mistaken...
similarly here's a link to an article in La Voix du Nord describing Hitler's visit to Boulogne-sur-Mer over Christmas 1940 when he visited Galland at JG 26 among others - must have been the closest he ever got to the UK Noël 1940 : le réveillon secret d'Adolf Hitler avec ses troupes dans le Boulonnais - Actualit Rgion - La Voix du Nord
That's for sure. I don't see the chicken farmer anywhere. Two guys to Hitler's right - is that Bormann? Slight resemblance to Goerring but not pompous or girthy enough. No idea about the guy on the left. The Local Nazi Leader from Munich or something?.?
That's Robert Ley, Chef der Deutschen Arbeitsfront (DAF). EDIT: He has established a cadet program "Ordensburgen" named after the medieval fortress of the Order of the Teutonic Knights. EDIT, EDIT: Further to right is SA-Oberführer Hans Goebbels, older brother of Joseph Goebbels.
How much of a nerd am I that I first thought "He doesn't have enough rank for a seat at that table anyway."?
I can't ever look at photos of Nazis dispassionately, but I do look at photos like this in awe. Such seemingly ordinary people, celebrating Christmas, no less. And yet their day job involved killing millions of innocent people. It's just unimaginable.
Not with this crowd, OP. Actually the guy does kind of look out of place, like he suddenly found himself walking right behind Hitler and wasn't really sure he was supposed to, or wanted to, be there.
