Hoffmann, Heinrich (1885-1957)

Hoffmann, Heinrich

PHOTOGRAPHER (GERMANY)

BORN 12 Sep 1885, Fürth, Bayern - DIED 16 Dec 1957, München, Bayern
GRAVE LOCATION München, Bayern: Nordfriedhof, Ungererstrasse 130 (M-re-388)

Heinrich Hoffman was Hitler's personal photographer. He worked in his father's photographic shop and in 1908 as a photographer. In 1911 he married Therese "Nelly" Baumann, with whom he had two children. Hoffman took photographs during the First World War and during the Räterepublik (a short lived communist republic in Munich).

In 1920 he joined the NSDAP. He became a close friend of Hitler and he moved freely around him. Hoffman made numerous series of photographs of Hitler and they were used for books, stamps, postcards and posters. The royalties made Hoffman rich and added to Hitler's fortune. Therese suddenly died in 1932. Hoffman's second wife Erna introduced Hitler to Eva Braun, who worked in Hoffman's shop. She became Hitler's mistress and died with him in 1945. Hoffman's daughter married Baldur von Schirach.

After the war he was arrested by the Americans on 10 May 1945. He was imprisoned for four years for profiteering from the nazi regime. In 1950 he was released and he settled in Epfach near Munich. He died in 1957. After his death his widow continued living there together with Vera Engels, a former silent movie star.

Family
• Daughter: Hoffman, Henriette

Images
The grave of Heinrich Hoffman at the Nordfriedhof, Munich. Picture by Androom (26 Aug 2003)	The former studio of Heinrich Hoffman at Schellingstrasse 50, Munich. Picture by androom (26 May 2006)