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Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was the Nazi dictator who ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945. He initiated World War II and was the central figure responsible for the Holocaust.

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All Content on this topic

A man talks to cameras outside a court

A man talks to cameras outside a court

Australia: Man convicted for performing outlawed Nazi salute

A far-right extremist made the gesture less than a week after it was outlawed in the state of Victoria.

Radikaler Rechtsruck - Kommt alles wie 1933?

Radikaler Rechtsruck - Kommt alles wie 1933?

Could Germany repeat its Nazi past?

Germany's far-right AfD party did well in the country's recent state elections, and has been on the rise for years.

Police take measures as Herbert Kickl, Chairman of Far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) addresses his supporters

Police take measures as Herbert Kickl, Chairman of Far-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) addresses his supporters

Austria: Outrage on election eve amid funeral with Nazi song

Three far-right politicians were at a funeral where a song glorified by Germany's Nazi-era SS was sung.

Six Der Spiegel magazine covers featuring Hitler

Six Der Spiegel magazine covers featuring Hitler

'After Hitler': Changing German views of Nazism

From secret adoration to loud dismay, Germans have reconciled the Nazi past in very different ways across 80 years.

Jens Kremb sits at a table in the town hall looking at city documents, surrounded by students

Jens Kremb sits at a table in the town hall looking at city documents, surrounded by students

Students want to strip Adolf Hitler of honorary citizenship

Thousands of German towns once made the Nazi dictator an honorary citizen, and many have still not distanced themselves.

The Documentation Center in Munich

The Documentation Center in Munich

Munich: Nazi past and new Jewish life

Thursday's shooting near the Nazi Documentation Center has put a spotlight on Munich's Nazi past and Jewish present.

Wehrmacht soldiers tearing down a barrier - black and white foto

Wehrmacht soldiers tearing down a barrier - black and white foto

Hitler's Germany invaded Poland 85 years ago

World War II began with Germany's invasion of Poland. It was a turning point that still has a geopolitical impact today.

Vorschaubild Explainer Wie tickt der Osten?

Vorschaubild Explainer Wie tickt der Osten?

The German far-right leader with anti-democratic ties

Far-right politician Björn Höcke wants to become the leader of the German state of Thuringia.

Germany: Pop singer Melanie Müller fined for Hitler salute

The former reality TV star was found guilty of repeatedly making the illegal gesture at a right-wing concert in Leipzig.

Deutschland Brandenburg Kundgebung der AfD

Deutschland Brandenburg Kundgebung der AfD

Why is the far-right AfD so powerful in eastern Germany?

Why is the far-right AfD so powerful in eastern Germany?

Verdun - The battle of the Great War

Today, the Battle of Verdun is a symbol of the industrialization of warfare and the horrors of WWI.

Scholz speaks behind a podium in Berlin

Scholz speaks behind a podium in Berlin

Germany's Scholz commemorates 'Valkyrie' plot against Hitler

Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged people not to be "resigned" to history as Germany remembers the 1944 coup attempt.

Col. Claus Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg seen in a b/w family photo, looking at his children Berthold, Franz-Ludwig and Haimeran

Col. Claus Graf Schenk von Stauffenberg seen in a b/w family photo, looking at his children Berthold, Franz-Ludwig and Haimeran

Germany marks 80th anniversary of attempt to kill Hitler

In 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg, a high-ranking soldier in the Third Reich, came close to assassinating Adolf Hitler.

black and white photo of Stauffenberg, Hitler, General Fromm from July 15, 1944

black and white photo of Stauffenberg, Hitler, General Fromm from July 15, 1944

Operation Valkyrie: 80th anniversary of plot to kill Hitler

One act of resistance against the Nazi dictator had more of a long-term impact than all the others.

Poster featuring portrait shots of various women that is part of the Berlin special exhibition "Women in the resistance against National Socialism."

Poster featuring portrait shots of various women that is part of the Berlin special exhibition "Women in the resistance against National Socialism."

The women who defied Nazi Germany

Brave and committed women were among the Germans who risked their lives to resist the Nazi regime.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a rally in March

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a rally in March

Biden says Trump using Hitler's language with 'Reich' post

The video reposted by Donald Trump referred to a "unified Reich" if he gets a second term at the White House.

Leni Riefenstahl looking through an impressive camera, surrounded by men.

Leni Riefenstahl looking through an impressive camera, surrounded by men.

Riefenstahl documentary explores Nazis' filmmaker's estate

Filmmaker Andres Veiel had unprecedented access to the Nazi propagandist's 700-box personal archive.

Three images, one of a girl, one of a bar of chocolate, and one of a woman shaking Adolf Hitler's hands are marked with the word "fake"

Three images, one of a girl, one of a bar of chocolate, and one of a woman shaking Adolf Hitler's hands are marked with the word "fake"

Fact check: How to spot fake news ahead of EU elections

DW Fact Check presents examples of how deepfakes, spoofing and the like are trying to mislead us.

DW Dokumentationen | Der Kunstraub der Nazis

DW Dokumentationen | Der Kunstraub der Nazis

The Nazi art heist - A belated search for justice

The systematic looting of art owned by Jewish families has never been fully investigated:

DW Arts Unveiled (Serienlogo Composite)

DW Arts Unveiled (Serienlogo Composite)

Why the Nazis burned books

The 1933 book burnings under Nazi rule also destroyed the vibrant culture of the Weimar Republic.

The house where Hitler spent his early childhood

The house where Hitler spent his early childhood

Austrian police arrest Germans visiting Hitler's birthplace

Austrian police have arrested two young couples from Bavaria after they visited the birthplace of Adolf Hitler.

A sign on a beach demarcates a "Whites only" area in South Africa during the 1970s

A sign on a beach demarcates a "Whites only" area in South Africa during the 1970s

Scientific racism's roots in colonization

Anthropologists used Germany's colonial conquest in Africa to promulgate racist theory, and create racial hierarchies.

A screenshot of the number 4 jersey on the German Football Federation (DFB) website

A screenshot of the number 4 jersey on the German Football Federation (DFB) website

Adidas stops sales of number 44 jerseys over Nazi likeness

The font design of the number 44 German national team jersey looks similar to the logo of the Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS).

Adolf Hitler standing at a podium giving a speech to Nazi members at the Munich beer hall, Nov. 8, 1939.

Adolf Hitler standing at a podium giving a speech to Nazi members at the Munich beer hall, Nov. 8, 1939.

Germany looks back at Adolf Hitler's coup attempt

A decade before he rose to power with the Nazis, Hitler's failed "Beer Hall Putsch" put him on the political map.

The Thuringian AfD parliamentary group leader Björn Höcke speaks on the Schlossplatz in Oranienburg

The Thuringian AfD parliamentary group leader Björn Höcke speaks on the Schlossplatz in Oranienburg

Germany: AfD's Höcke trial moved to more prominent court

During a speech in May 2021, Höcke used the slogan of the Nazis' notorious Sturmabteilung (SA).

Black and white photo of Anita Lasker-Wallfisch playing cello.

Black and white photo of Anita Lasker-Wallfisch playing cello.

DW documentary gets first International Emmy nomination

"Music under the Swastika" looks at how classcial music saved the life of Jewish cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch.

A high school class room.Students sit facing the electronic board where a teacher stands and writnes things down

A high school class room.Students sit facing the electronic board where a teacher stands and writnes things down

Teaching about Nazis and the Holocaust in German schools

What do German students learn about the Nazi era at school? DW visited a Berlin high school to find out.

The building where Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria

The building where Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria

Austria: Hitler's birthplace to become a police station

The police are to move into Hitler's birthplace in the Austrian town of Braunau. The move has sparked protests.

Memorial stone for the victims of fascism seen in front of Adolf Hitler's birthplace in Braunau, Austria.

Memorial stone for the victims of fascism seen in front of Adolf Hitler's birthplace in Braunau, Austria.

Repurposing of Hitler's birthplace sparks concern

Residents of Braunau voice concern over plans to turn Adolf Hitler's birthplace into a police station.

Architectural model of Hitler's New Reich Chancellery, a building with columns and a horse statue.

Architectural model of Hitler's New Reich Chancellery, a building with columns and a horse statue.

Hitler's bronze stallions unveiled in Berlin

The controversial sculptures created for Adolf Hitler by Josef Thorak can be seen in Berlin on Open Monument Day.

Man sitting next to a Volksempfänger radio

Man sitting next to a Volksempfänger radio

Nazi Germany: Radio propaganda turns 90

The Nazis were masters of propaganda. The primary tool was, at the time, a revolutionary new technology: radio.

Hitler in uniform between Winfred and Wieland Wagner

Hitler in uniform between Winfred and Wieland Wagner

Hitler's cultural accomplices: Wagner, Speer and Bechstein

Cultural figures like Richard Wagner's family paved the way for Hitler long before he came to power in 1933.

Joseph Alexander, wearing a baseball cap with the number 100 on it, gestures as he stands under an umbrella

Joseph Alexander, wearing a baseball cap with the number 100 on it, gestures as he stands under an umbrella

'I survived — Hitler didn't': The story of Joseph Alexander

Joseph Alexander was the only Holocaust survivor in his family. At 100, he keeps their memory alive.

A stone fragment showing Hebraic script.

A stone fragment showing Hebraic script.

What the Munich synagogue destroyed by the Nazis symbolized

The remains of Munich's Great Synagogue, the first to be razed under Hitler's orders, have resurfaced after 85 years.

Far-right politician Vilhelm Junnila of the Finns Party smiles in parliament

Far-right politician Vilhelm Junnila of the Finns Party smiles in parliament

Finland economy minister resigns over Nazi comments

Vilhelm Junnila of the nationalist Finns Party quit after just 10 days in office over alleged ties to extremists.

DW Arts Unveiled (Sendungslogo Composite)

DW Arts Unveiled (Sendungslogo Composite)

True crime: Hitler's bronze horses

Arts Unveiled on the thrilling mission to find the lost Nazi-era bronze horses.

Austrian ÖBB train

Austrian ÖBB train

Austrian rail accuses 2 of playing Hitler speech on train

The incident included Hitler salutes and what appeared to be excerpts from the Nazi dictator's speeches.

A man holding up a black book with red seals, a poster of Stern magazine behind him

A man holding up a black book with red seals, a poster of Stern magazine behind him

How a German magazine fell for fake Hitler diaries

In 1983, Stern magazine claimed to have found Hitler's diaries — the biggest fake news story in German press history.

Salomon "Sally" Perel

Salomon "Sally" Perel

'Hitler Youth Salomon' Holocaust survivor Sally Perel dies

Perel, the subject of a multi-award-winning film, survived life under the Nazi regime by adopting a false persona.

Soldiers in the Battle of Stalingrad, positioned on a hill with guns

Soldiers in the Battle of Stalingrad, positioned on a hill with guns

The battle of Stalingrad: A decisive turning point in WW2

Russia commemorates the surrender of the Wehrmacht in Stalingrad 80 years ago. And uses it for propaganda purposes.

Hitler is mobbed by supporters while standing in a car during a rally

Hitler is mobbed by supporters while standing in a car during a rally

Could Adolf Hitler's seizure of power have been prevented?

Hitler's rise to power on January 30, 1933 changed world history. A new Berlin exhibition imagines other possibilities.

The building in Braunau am Inn, part of which was the birthplace of Adolf Hitler

The building in Braunau am Inn, part of which was the birthplace of Adolf Hitler

Cost of turning Hitler birthplace into police station soars

The budget to convert the building into a police station has spiraled amid delays and building material shortages.

DW Arts.21 (Sendungslogo Kultur.21 englisch)

DW Arts.21 (Sendungslogo Kultur.21 englisch)

Why Hitler adored Richard Wagner

Ominous veneration: Why Hitler found the soundtrack to his megalomania in Wagner’s music.

Rapper Kanye West wears a Make America Great again hat during a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Oct. 11, 2018.

Rapper Kanye West wears a Make America Great again hat during a meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Oct. 11, 2018.

Musk suspends Kanye West's Twitter after Hitler comments

The controversial rapper has doubled down on earlier antisemitic comments which cost him lucrative business deals.

Filmstill - Casablanca

Filmstill - Casablanca

'Casablanca': A refugee love story turns 80

The timeless classic starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman has an intriguing historical background.

Abbildung von Anita Lasker-Wallfisch

Abbildung von Anita Lasker-Wallfisch

Music under the swastika

Why was classical music so important to Hitler and Goebbels?

A triptych painting depicting blonde women next to a sculpture and another painting.

A triptych painting depicting blonde women next to a sculpture and another painting.

Calls for Nazi art in Munich to be taken down

A work by Nazi painter Adolf Ziegler hangs in Munich's Pinakothek museum. German artist Georg Baselitz wants it removed.

Unity Mitford (pictured left) with her sisters Diana and Nancy (pictured right)

Unity Mitford (pictured left) with her sisters Diana and Nancy (pictured right)

'Hitler's Girl' explores British ties with Nazis

A new book look at how fascism gained ground among British upper classes during the 1930s, endangering democracy.

Florian Vogt, man on stage in armor of sorts

Florian Vogt, man on stage in armor of sorts

Wagner Festival wrestles with word 'Führer'

Opinions clashed at the Bayreuth Festival over the word "Führer," even in a context that had nothing to do with Hitler-

In a black and white photo the cinema audience sits in wicker chairs

In a black and white photo the cinema audience sits in wicker chairs

When the Venice Film Festival was fascist

The Venice Film Festival celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. Its beginnings were deeply entangled with fascism.