02-04 l to r. (Mussolini visit): ?Himmler, Hitler, Göring, Ribbentrop, Keitel, arriving; German cameraman; photographer Heinrich Hoffmann; Otto Günsche (?) is on the German Sonderzug steps. Click photo to enter album.

THIS photographic album of life at Adolf Hitler's HQ was purchased by Richard Stannard, a US Civil War buff, at an American auction in 2005. The album consists of 41 sides (i.e., 21 sheets) of black paper with 216 snapshot-sized photos glued in or affixed with transparent corners. The snapshots are mostly printed on 2.5 x 3.5 inch paper, but some are twice that size. I would guess the smaller ones are contact prints, the larger ones perhaps issued by the base photographer.

The first twenty pages, this first gallery, contain scenes from Adolf Hitler's HQ, and visits by personalities; the second gallery (from the same album) depicts a worm's-eye view of life with the platoon. Erwin Rommel (Kdt of the FHQu from 1938 to early 1940) is visible in two of the pictures in the second gallery.

The soldier who evidently took many of the snapshots was perhaps a member of the Führerbegleitbatallion. The first page has an elaborate gilt title: "Zur Erinnerung an meine Dienstzeit in der 3. (schweren) Komp. des Führerhauptquartiers" which means: "In memory of my service time in the 3rd (Heavy) Company of the Fuhrer's HQ."

We have made high resolution scans of 7 to 10 MB each (where photos have been printed on wartime textured matt paper, the texture shows on the scans). The photos reproduced in this gallery are of course low-resolution versions. The captions are provisional. We invite readers to submit corrections, identification of persons and locations (for example the location may not always be Rastenburg), dates, and other comments, either to us at this link or by the feedback panel on each image page in the gallery.

[ Enter gallery ] [Visit second gallery, worm's eye view: not yet posted]

01-01 Hitler addresses Reichstag Sept 1, 1939: postcard standard photo

02-01 l to r. (Mussolini visit): Hermann Göring with Marschallstab at Sonderzug

02-02 l to r. (Mussolini visit): ?, Martin Bormann, Göring, Himmler, Hitler, Karl Bodenschatz, wait at Sonderzug; picture possibly taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941.

02-03 l to r. (Mussolini visit): ?including Karl Wolff?, Hitler, Ribbentrop, Himmler? (back to camera), Admiral Raeder, ...; picture taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941, probably April 20.

02-04 l to r. (Mussolini visit): ?Himmler, Hitler, Göring, Ribbentrop, Keitel, arriving; German cameraman; Otto Günsche (?) on German Sonderzug steps; picture taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941, probably April 20.

02-05 l to r. (Mussolini visit): ?Hitler, Mussolini move off from Sonderzug; Italian photographer and Lt Walter Frentz, German cameraman, run to get ahead

02-06 l to r. (Mussolini visit): ?Mussolini, Italians, wait for Hitler's arrival at Sonderzug

02-07 l to r. (Mussolini visit): ?Hitler greets Mussolini; Lt Walter Frentz (back to camera) films the scene

03-01 l to r. (Mussolini visit): Hermann Göring talks with ? Bodenschatz

03-02 l to r. (Mussolini visit): Feldmarschall Erhard Milch (with Marschallstab), Albert Speer ( Rüstungsminister since Feb 1942), Göring, Himmler, Nikolaus von Below (Luftwaffenadjutant bei Hitler)

03-03 l to r. (Mussolini visit): Hermann Göring, portrait head and shoulders, in profile

03-04 l to r. (Mussolini visit): German group, walking: left to right, Führeradjutant Richard Schulze, Martin Bormann, Hitler, Robert Ley, ?, Göring, ?, ?, ?, Himmler, ?

03-05 l to r. (Mussolini visit): Mussolini, ?, Hitler, ? , Julius Schaub

03-06 l to r. (Mussolini visit): ?, Martin Bormann, Hitler, Julius Schaub, Göring, Otto Dietrich?,

04-01 (Rastenburg, FHQu Wolfsschanze: left to right:) Hitler greets unidentified officer. ?, Julius Schaub, Gerhard Engel (Heeresadjutant beim Führer), Hitler, ?, ?

04-02 (Rastenburg, FHQu Wolfsschanze: left to right:) adjutant (the other Schulze?), Reichsaussenminister Joachim von Ribbentrop, Walther Hewel (VAA beim Führer)

04-03 (Rastenburg, FHQu Wolfsschanze: left to right:) cameraman, Himmler, ?, ? (Karl Wolff?), Albert Speer, ?

04-04 (Rastenburg, FHQu Wolfsschanze: left to right:) Bodenschatz (with back to camera)?, ?, Himmler, Göring, Karl Wolff (Chefadjutant of Himmler)

04-05 (Rastenburg, FHQu Wolfsschanze: left to right:) Hitler, Bormann, Göring, Julius Schaub, Richard Schulze

05-01 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze: visit by King Boris of Bulgaria to Hitler; left to right:) two cameramen, diplomat, King Boris, German naval officer, Hitler from behind, Bulgarian officers, railwayman

05-02 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze: visit by King Boris of Bulgaria to Hitler; left to right:) train arriving (or leaving), Ribbentrop and Hitler seen from behind, watching.

05-03 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze: visit by King Boris of Bulgaria to Hitler; left to right:) two cameramen, Hitler, King Boris, diplomat, two railwaymen

05-04 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze: visit by King Boris of Bulgaria to Hitler; left to right:) unidentified photographer, film cameraman Ltn Walter Frentz, ?, King Boris, Hitler, ?, naval officer

05-05 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze: visit by King Boris of Bulgaria to Hitler; left to right:) unidentified photographer, King Boris, film cameraman Ltn Walter Frentz, Hitler, ?, Bulgarian officers

06-01 (members of presumably the 3. (schwere) Kompanie des Führerhauptiers; in winter:) four men

06-02 (members of presumably the 3. (schwere) Kompanie des Führerhauptiers; in winter:) five men, two trucks, Sanit.-Wagen

06-03 (members of presumably the 3. (schwere) Kompanie des Führerhauptiers; in winter:) four men, village street, truck

06-04 (members of presumably the 3. (schwere) Kompanie des Führerhauptiers; in winter:) four men

06-05 (3. (schwere) Kompanie des Führerhauptiers; in winter:) barracks of 1. Zug, 3 Kpm., entrance gate

07-01 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by King Boris of Bulgaria to Hitler) King Boris, Julius Schaub, Hitler, diplomat, adjutant Richard Schulze, others.

07-02 picture possibly taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941; left to right:) Ribbentrop, sombre Göring, unidentified officers

07-03 Hitler, leather-coated, at fortifications

07-04 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right:) Unidentified army officer greeted by Hitler

07-05 picture possibly taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941; Mussolini boards railcar

07-06 Unidentified war-damaged village

08-01 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) honour guard, military band, parade at rail station as Göring boards train

08-02 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) honour guard, FHQu top brass parade at rail station

08-03 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) honour guard and military band parade at rail station

08-04 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) honour guard parades at rail station

08-05 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) honour guard parades at rail station

08-06 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) honour guard parades at rail station

09-01 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Musssolini, Hitler, ?, ?, ?, Schaub on grass at rail station

09-02 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) honour guard parades at rail station

09-03 picture taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941, probably April 20.; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) honour guard parades at rail station after train arrives

09-04 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Mussolini, Hitler walk together at rail station

09-05 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Hitler and party wait at rail station; Ltn Walter Frentz (back to camera) films the scene

09-06 picture taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941, probably April 20; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) honour guard parades at rail station; ?, Schaub, Raeder, Göring, Schmundt?, Hitler at train door

09-07 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) honour guard parades at rail station

10-01 picture taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941, probably April 20; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Hitler, Göring arrive as honour guard parades at rail station

10-02 picture taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941, probably April 20. left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Mussolini salutes, as Hitler, Göring arrive at train

10-03 picture taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941, probably April 20.; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Hitler, Göring and other Oberbefehlshaber arrive at train

10-04 picture possibly taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler): 20 men of Ehrenkompanie marching

10-05 (Rastenburg, FHQu Wolfsschanze) Schlagbaum at entrance to FHQu?

11-01 picture taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941, probably April 20; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Ehrenkompanie and others wait on platform at train side, Hitler, Göring and others move up

11-02 picture possibly taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941.; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Martin Bormann, Hermann Göring, Heinrich Himmler, Hitler, confer on platform near train

11-03 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) In Hitler's automobile

11-04 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Hitler jokes with honour guard waiting on station platform

11-05 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Mussolini, and Italian, German officers on station platform

12-01 Well known photo of Hitler reviewing troops marching post (Polish campaign, 1939?); paper texture showing

12-02 picture taken at FHQu Mönichkirchen April 12-25, 1941, probably April 20.; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) ?, Schaub, Grossadmiral Raeder, ?, Chefadjutant der Wehrmacht Rudolf Schmundt, Göring (boarding train)

12-03 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Mussolini, Hitler, cameraman Ltn Walter Frentz and (foreground) Rudolf Schmundt; others

13-01 Hitler in white coat, shares joke with troops at front; paper texture showing. Original caption: "Hitler among his soldiers at Le Bourget Airport outside Paris on June 23, 1940. He has just completed tour of city." Original copyright - Zeitgeschichtliches Bildarchiv, Heinrich Hoffmann.

13-02 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Hitler bids farewell to Mussolini at train; paper texture showing

13-03 FHQu Wolfsschanze, left to right:) Martin Bormann, Richard Schulze, Robert Ley, Adolf Hitler, Julius Schaub, Hermann Göring; paper texture showing

13-04 (Rastenburg, FHQu Wolfsschanze; left to right: visit by King Boris of Bulgaria to Hitler, March 24, 1942. King Boris. (Martin Bormann), Hitler shake hands; paper texture showing

14-01 (a visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Hitler bids fond farewell to Mussolini at train; Italian officer waits; paper texture showing

14-02 (Berghof, Obersalzberg: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Hitler standing talks to Mussolini inside Grosse Halle; paper texture showing

14-03 (Rastenburg station, FHQu Wolfsschanze: visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Hitler visible inside train carriage; on the way to OKH headquarters "Mauerwald," a trip with Mussolini, August 25-26, 1941.

15-01 Standard issue photograph of Adolf Hitler in uniform, head and shoulders, profile; ca 1939

15-02 Standard issue photograph of Hitler and Hermann Göring, ca 1939/40

15-03 Standard issue photograph of Hitler and Mussolini and FM Gerd von Rundstedt standing in open Mercedes automobile driving past Italian Kradfahrer heading in opposite direction in open flat countryside. Die am Mercedes-Pkw mit Hitler, Mussolini und GFM von Rundstedt vorbeifahrenden Kradschützen tragen italienische Stahlhelme, somit spricht alles für das Aufnahmedatum 28. August 1941 östwärts Uman, eastern front.

16-01 Standard issue photograph of Hitler and generals, left to right, von Below, ?, Speer, Hitler, Schmundt, Keitel; paper texture showing. Location is FHQu Wolfsschanze, during or shortly after a display of new armaments, Hitler's birthday April 20, 1942.

16-02 Standard issue photograph of (left to right) Hitler, (in shadow: Field Marshal?) Erhard Milch, Jagdflieger Adolf Galland, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel; paper texture showing. FHQu Wolfsschanze, 1941.

16-03 Standard issue photograph of Hitler, civilian (Prof Hugo Junkers?), Dr Karl Brandt, Göring, Albert Speer, Grossadmiral Raeder, ?, ?, two civilians

16-04 Standard issue photograph of Keitel, Luftwaffenoffizier (evtl. Oberst Werner Mölders (18. März 1913 - 22. November 1941)), Luftwaffen general (möglicherweise General der Flieger Karl Bodenschatz), Hitler, ?von Below, Göring emerging from ?bunker; paper texture showing. FHQu Wolfsschanze. Picture definitely before autumn 1942.

17-01 (a visit by Mussolini to Hitler) Two dictators marched past saluting German soldiers in forest setting. At OKH headquarters "Mauerwald," a trip with Mussolini, August 25-26, 1941.

17-02 Hitler enters room, is saluted by staff, left to right Colonel Rudolf Schmundt, Chefadjutant der Wehrmacht; Konteradmiral Karl-Jesco von Puttkamer, Marineadjutant; Oberst Gerhard Engel, Heeresadjutant. At FHQu Wolfsschanze, before Autumn 1942.

17-03 Four unidentified children presented to Hitler, BdM-Mädchen in center with flowers, in forest setting. Location FHQu Wolfsschanze, Hitler's birthday, April 1942.

17-04 (a visit by Mussolini to Hitler) 17-04 (a visit by Mussolini to Hitler) "Scheinlage": left to right, Ugo Cavallero, Italian officer, Mussolini, Italian officer, Hitler, Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt (OB Heeresgruppe Süd bis zum 1. Dezember 1941), der mit seinem Interimsstock (im Alltagsdienst statt des Marschallstabes geführt) auf der Karte die Lage erläutert; Generaloberst Alexander Löhr (Oberbefehlshaber Luftflotte 4 [der Heeresgruppe Süd zugeteilt] bis zum 24. Juni 1942). Aufgenommen vermutlich im Heeresgruppenkommando Süd in Uman -- Hitler flog mit Mussolini am 28. August 1941 dorthin.

18-01 Truppenbesuch; left to right: Heeresadjutant Gerhard Engel, ?Kesselring, Hitler eating soldier's rations, a trip with Mussolini, August 25-26, 1941.

18-02 Göring (devoted look) shakes Hitler's hand in a room. Location FHQu Wolfsschanze, Hitler's birthday, April 1942.

18-03 Hitler accompanies Mussolini to train; film cameraman running is Ltn Walter Frentz. Location is Wolfsschanze railroad station.Visit by Mussolini, August 25-26, 1941.

18-04 Group leaving building in forest setting, left to right:Martin Bormann, ?, Robert Ley, ?, Hitler, Schaub, ?, Göring, ?, von Below? Location is Wolfsschanze summer 1941.

19-01 unidentified people looking at Eiffel Tower, Paris

19-02 unidentified officer reviewing German troops

19-03 view across Paris rooftops

19-04 prisoners? clearing bomb damage? in Paris?

19-05 German troops admiring Tannenberg battlefield.

20-01 Two German soldiers posing in front of Tannenberg battlefield.

20-02 unidentified railroad suspension bridge over river, collapsed

20-03 unidentified damage to street, open German staff car WH 192568, railroad bridge, soldiers and others clearing damage

20-04 damage to ?French passenger ship Foucauld;

20-05 damage to ?French passenger ship Foucauld, different angle

20-06 imposing undamaged building in ?France