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Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
,
dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in ti ...
of
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
from 1933 to 1945, has been represented in
popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in ...
ever since he became a well-known politician in Germany. His distinctive image was often parodied by his opponents. Parodies became much more prominent outside Germany during his period in power. Since the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
representations of Hitler, both serious and satirical, have continued to be prominent in popular culture, sometimes generating significant controversy. In many periodicals, books, and movies, Hitler and
Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
fulfill the role of
archetypal The concept of an archetype (; ) appears in areas relating to behavior, historical psychology, and literary analysis. An archetype can be any of the following: # a statement, pattern of behavior, prototype, "first" form, or a main model that o ...
evil Evil, in a general sense, is defined as the opposite or absence of good. It can be an extremely broad concept, although in everyday usage it is often more narrowly used to talk about profound wickedness and against common good. It is general ...
. This treatment is not confined to fiction but is widespread amongst nonfiction writers who have discussed him in this vein. Hitler has retained a fascination from other perspectives; among many comparable examples is an exhibition at the
German Historical Museum The German Historical Museum (german: Deutsches Historisches Museum), known by the acronym DHM, is a museum in Berlin, Germany devoted to German history. It describes itself as a place of "enlightenment and understanding of the shared history o ...
which was widely attended.


Depictions of Hitler during his lifetime

Numerous works in
popular music Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Funk ...
and
literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to inclu ...
feature Adolf Hitler prominently. In Germany, before he gained power, Hitler was often portrayed satirically in newspaper cartoons and propaganda by political enemies. The photomontagist
John Heartfield John Heartfield (born Helmut Herzfeld; 19 June 1891 – 26 April 1968) was a 20th century German visual artist who pioneered the use of art as a political weapon. Some of his most famous photomontages were anti-Nazi and anti-fascist statements. ...
regularly depicted Hitler in absurd ways in his anti-Nazi poster designs. After the Nazis came to national power in January 1933, Hitler was mostly depicted as a god-like figure, loved and respected by the German people, as shown for example in ''
Triumph of the Will ''Triumph of the Will'' (german: Triumph des Willens) is a 1935 German Nazi propaganda film directed, produced, edited and co-written by Leni Riefenstahl. Adolf Hitler commissioned the film and served as an unofficial executive producer; his n ...
'', which Hitler co-produced. An exception was the German film '' Das Testament des Dr. Mabuse'' (''The Testament of Dr. Mabuse'') from 1933, which was banned by the
Nazi propaganda ministry The Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (; RMVP), also known simply as the Ministry of Propaganda (), controlled the content of the press, literature, visual arts, film, theater, music and radio in Nazi Germany. The ministry ...
. Many critics consider
Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...
's depiction of a homicidal maniac masterminding a criminal empire from within the walls of a criminal asylum to be an allegory of the Nazi ascent to power in Germany. Outside Germany Hitler's persona was often parodied.
George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...
's 1936 play ''
Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situ ...
'' includes a caricature of Hitler as Herr Battler, appearing at an international tribunal with his friends Signor Bombardone (Mussolini) and General Flanco (Franco). There are numerous cartoons satirising his distinctive features, such as those by David Low.


After the start of the war

Another early example of a cryptic depiction is in
Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a ...
's 1941 play, ''
The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui ''The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui'' (german: Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui, links=no), subtitled "A parable play", is a 1941 play by the German playwright Bertolt Brecht. It chronicles the rise of Arturo Ui, a fictional 1930s Chicago ...
'', in which Hitler, in the persona of the principal character Arturo Ui, a
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...
racketeer Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercive, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. Originally and of ...
in the
cauliflower Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species '' Brassica oleracea'' in the genus ''Brassica'', which is in the Brassicaceae (or mustard) family. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed. Typically, only the head is eaten – t ...
trade, is ruthlessly
satirised Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or ...
. Brecht, who was German but left when the Nazis came to power, also expressed his opposition to the National Socialist and
Fascist Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and the ...
movements in other plays such as ''
Mother Courage Mother Courage (German ''Mutter Courage'') is a character from a Grimmelshausen novel ''Lebensbeschreibung der Ertzbetrügerin und Landstörtzerin Courasche'' (''The Runagate Courage'') dating from around 1670. The character had played a cameo ro ...
'' and ''
Fear and Misery of the Third Reich ''Fear and Misery of the Third Reich'' (german: Furcht und Elend des Dritten Reiches), also known as ''The Private Life of the Master Race'', is one of Bertolt Brecht's most famous plays and the first of his openly anti-Nazi works. It premiered o ...
''. Outside Germany, Hitler was made fun of or depicted as a maniac. There are many notable examples in contemporary Hollywood films. Several
Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy team active from 1922 until 1970, best remembered for their 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures. Their hallmark styles were physical farce and slapstick. Six Stooges appear ...
shorts Shorts are a garment worn over the pelvic area, circling the waist and splitting to cover the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to the knees but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they ...
, the first being ''
You Nazty Spy! ''You Nazty Spy!'' is a 1940 comedy film directed by Jules White and starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard). It is the 44th short film released by Columbia Pictures starring the comed ...
'' (1940), the very first Hollywood work lampooning Hitler and the Nazis in which the boys, with
Moe Howard Moses Harry Horwitz (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975), known professionally as Moe Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He is best known as the leader of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television ...
portraying "Moe Hailstone", as the Hitler character, are made dictators of the
fictional country A fictional country is a country that is made up for fictional stories, and does not exist in real life, or one that people believe in without proof. Sailors have always mistaken low clouds for land masses, and in later times this was given ...
of Moronika. This short in particular implies that business interests were behind
Hitler's rise to power Adolf Hitler's rise to power began in the newly established Weimar Republic in September 1919 when Hitler joined the '' Deutsche Arbeiterpartei'' (DAP; German Workers' Party). He rose to a place of prominence in the early years of the party. Be ...
, and was said to be Moe Howard's and
Larry Fine Louis Feinberg (October 5, 1902 – January 24, 1975), known professionally as Larry Fine, was an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is best known as a member of the comedy act the Three Stooges. Early life Fine was born to a Russian Je ...
's favorite Stooges short subject. A sequel was released a year later entitled ''
I'll Never Heil Again ''I'll Never Heil Again'' is a 1941 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 56th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures st ...
''. This one illustrated the disagreements between Hitler and the
League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide Intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by ...
. In other Three Stooges shorts, Hitler is referred to as "Schicklgruber" in reference to his father
Alois Hitler Alois Hitler (born Alois Schicklgruber; 7 June 1837 – 3 January 1903) was an Austrian civil servant in the customs service, and the father of Adolf Hitler, dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945. Alois Schicklgruber was born out of w ...
's birth name. First released some nine months after the Stooges' initial Nazi-lampooning short subject, Charlie Chaplin made fun of Hitler as "Adenoid Hynkel," the buffoonish dictator of Tomainia, in his 1940 film ''
The Great Dictator ''The Great Dictator'' is a 1940 American anti-war political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the ...
''. This is one of the most recognizable Hitler parodies. Especially during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, Hitler was
caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, a ...
d in numerous animated shorts, including ''
Der Fuehrer's Face ''Der Fuehrer's Face'' (originally titled ''A Nightmare in Nutziland'' or ''Donald Duck in Nutziland'' ) is a 1943 American Animated cartoon, animated anti-Nazi propaganda short film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Product ...
'', a 1942
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
wartime propaganda cartoon featuring
Donald Duck Donald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic American Pekin, white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit, sailor shi ...
(inspired by
Spike Jones Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was an American musician and bandleader specializing in spoof arrangements of popular songs and classical music. Ballads receiving the Jones treatment were punctuated with gun ...
' playing of the song written by
Oliver Wallace Oliver George Wallace (August 6, 1887 – September 15, 1963) was an English composer and conductor.''Home Front Heroes: A Biographical Dictionary of Americans During Wartime'', Volume 3, ed. Benjamin F. Shearer (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 200 ...
), and the
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
cartoon ''
Herr Meets Hare ''Herr Meets Hare'' is a 1945 anti-Nazi ''Merrie Melodies'' cartoon directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on January 13, 1945, and features Bugs Bunny. This short, released not long before the collapse of the Third Reich, was the pen ...
'' featuring
Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Mer ...
. However, Hitler's first appearance on a Warner Brothers cartoon was in ''
Bosko's Picture Show ''Bosko's Picture Show'' is a Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' animated short directed by Hugh Harman and Friz Freleng. It was the last ''Looney Tunes'' Bosko cartoon produced by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising for Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros. T ...
'' in 1932 in a short gag where Hitler is shown chasing after
Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced songs ...
with an ax.
George Grosz George Grosz (; born Georg Ehrenfried Groß; July 26, 1893 – July 6, 1959) was a German artist known especially for his caricatural drawings and paintings of Berlin life in the 1920s. He was a prominent member of the Berlin Dada and New Ob ...
painted ''
Cain, or Hitler in Hell ''Cain, or Hitler in Hell'' is an oil-on-canvas painting by German American artist George Grosz, painted in 1944. It is one of the most known paintings of the years when Grosz lived in the United States, from 1933 to 1958, after leaving Germany, s ...
'' (1944) showing the dead attacking Hitler in Hell. The
photomontage Photomontage is the process and the result of making a composite photograph by cutting, gluing, rearranging and overlapping two or more photographs into a new image. Sometimes the resulting composite image is photographed so that the final imag ...
artist
John Heartfield John Heartfield (born Helmut Herzfeld; 19 June 1891 – 26 April 1968) was a 20th century German visual artist who pioneered the use of art as a political weapon. Some of his most famous photomontages were anti-Nazi and anti-fascist statements. ...
made frequent use of Hitler's image as a target for his brand of barbed satire during Hitler's lifetime. In
Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...
's 1941 movie '' Man Hunt'', which opened in theaters before America's entry into the war, Hitler is seen in the scope of a British hunter's rifle. In
Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as ...
's 1942 films ''
To Be or Not to Be To Be or Not to Be may refer to: * ''To be, or not to be'', the soliloquy from ''Hamlet''. Films and TV, theatre and books * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1942 film), directed by Ernst Lubitsch * ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1983 film), a remake produced ...
'' (as well as in
Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began ...
'
remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sa ...
in 1983), an actor from a
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...
stage group impersonates Hitler to enable the escape of the troupe to England. One spoof of Hitler appeared in a short propaganda film created in 1942 by Charles A. Ridley of the
British Ministry of Information The Ministry of Information (MOI), headed by the Minister of Information, was a United Kingdom government department created briefly at the end of the First World War and again during the Second World War. Located in Senate House at the Univers ...
that had among other names, '' Schichlegruber - Doing the Lambeth Walk'' and ''Lambeth Walk – Nazi Style''. The film features footage of Hitler and other Nazis taken from ''
Triumph of the Will ''Triumph of the Will'' (german: Triumph des Willens) is a 1935 German Nazi propaganda film directed, produced, edited and co-written by Leni Riefenstahl. Adolf Hitler commissioned the film and served as an unofficial executive producer; his n ...
'' and edited in such a way to make it appear they are marching and dancing to "
The Lambeth Walk "The Lambeth Walk" is a song from the 1937 musical '' Me and My Girl'' (with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay). The song takes its name from a local street, Lambeth Walk, once notable for its street market ...
", a dance common at the time (including in Germany) but despised by the Nazis. The use of the footage was intended to give audiences is Britain and other Allied countries a good laugh and make Nazis angry. The film was distributed uncredited to various
newsreel A newsreel is a form of short documentary film, containing news stories and items of topical interest, that was prevalent between the 1910s and the mid 1970s. Typically presented in a cinema, newsreels were a source of current affairs, inform ...
companies that gave the film other titles such as ''Hoch der Lambeth Valk: A Laugh-Time Interlude'', ''Lambeth Walk - Nazi Style'', ''Gen. Adolf Takes Over'' and ''Panzer Ballet''. The newsreel companies would supply their own narration for the clip. When Nazi Propaganda Chief
Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the '' Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to ...
saw this film, he ended so enraged that he left the screening room kicking chairs and screaming profanities. Apart from films, Hitler was the subject for several
comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. ...
superheroes who battled Hitler directly or indirectly in comics published during World War II. Superheroes that fought Hitler include Superman,
Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1 ( cover dated March 1941) from T ...
, the
Shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of ...
, and
Namor the Sub-Mariner Namor (), also known as the Sub-Mariner, is a character (arts), fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Debuting in early 1939, the character was created by writer-artist Bill Everett for Book packaging, ...
. The front cover of ''Captain America Comics'' #1, the first Captain America comic showed Captain America hitting Hitler on the jaw. Captain America's archenemy, the
Red Skull The Red Skull is an alias used by several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics and its predecessor Timely Comics. The first version, George Maxon, appeared in ''Captain America Comics'' #1 and #4. The main ...
, was established as being an apprentice to Hitler. In '' Superman'' #15 the dictator Razan appeared, who attempted to invade a nearby democratic nation. Superman defeated his army, and Razan was shot while trying to escape. One Superman story where Superman defeats Hitler is notable for triggering a response in an official Nazi media outlet. The story was called "How Superman would end the War" and was published not in a comic book but in
Look To look is to use sight to perceive an object. Look or The Look may refer to: Businesses and products * Look (modeling agency), an Israeli modeling agency * ''Look'' (American magazine), a defunct general-interest magazine * ''Look'' (UK m ...
magazine in 1940. The story was published with the full cooperation of
Jerry Siegel Jerome Siegel ( ; October 17, 1914 – January 28, 1996) Roger Stern. ''Superman: Sunday Classics: 1939–1943'' DC Comics/Kitchen Sink Press, Inc./Sterling Publishing; 2006 was an American comic book writer. He is the co-creator of Superman, ...
and
Joe Shuster Joseph Shuster (; July 10, 1914 – July 30, 1992), professionally known simply as Joe Shuster, was a Canadian-American comic book artist best known for co-creating the DC Comics character Superman, with Jerry Siegel, in ''Action Comics'' #1 ...
, the creators of the Superman character. Both Siegel and Shuster happen to be Jewish and therefore are considered enemies by Nazi Germany so while the United States was still officially neutral, Siegel and Shuster were not. "How Superman would end the War" is acknowledged in the magazine itself as outside of normal Superman continuity and non-canon. As implied by its title, "How Superman would end the War" is a story detailing a hypothetical scenario in which Superman intervenes in World War II. The story starts in the
Siegfried Line The Siegfried Line, known in German as the ''Westwall'', was a German defensive line built during the 1930s (started 1936) opposite the French Maginot Line. It stretched more than ; from Kleve on the border with the Netherlands, along the we ...
where German soldiers see Superman flying towards them. Superman then lands and while the soldiers shoot at him, the bullets have no effect and bounce off. Superman puts an artillery gun out of service by using his super strength to tie a knot into the gun's barrel. After that, Superman flies away and when an airplane tries to stop him, he tears off the propeller, confusing the pilot. Superman continues his flight where he lands in Berlin and kidnaps Hitler (who complains about his kidnapping). Superman, while holding on to Hitler, flies to Moscow in the Soviet Union where he kidnaps another dictator,
Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
(at this point not yet in the war, he was against Hitler starting from 1941 onwards) and flies them both to the
Palace of Nations The Palace of Nations (french: Palais des Nations, ) is the home of the United Nations Office at Geneva, located in Geneva, Switzerland. It was built between 1929 and 1938 to serve as the headquarters of the League of Nations. It has served ...
, the
League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide Intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by ...
headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Hitler and Stalin are then both put on trial for war crimes including among others, the Nazi-Soviet joint occupation of
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...
. This trial thus ends the war. A Nazi in the United States had read the ''Look'' issue and Superman comic strip within it when it was published and alerted the SS newspaper ''
Das Schwarze Korps ''Das Schwarze Korps'' (; German for "The Black Corps") was the official newspaper of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS). This newspaper was published on Wednesdays and distributed free of charge. All SS members were encouraged to read it. The chief edit ...
'' to its contents. In April 1940, ''Das Schwarze Korps'' published an article condemning the comic strip, Superman and his co-creator Jerry Siegel personally. The article, titled "Jerry Siegel Attacks!" criticizes Superman as someone "with an overdeveloped body and underdeveloped mind" and in typical Nazi fashion, repeatedly uses anti-Semitic language to describe the story and denounce Siegel. Such language includes the opening sentence where Siegel is described as "an intellectually and physically circumcised chap". The article is also an attack on Siegel's own morals, claiming that he only created Superman to make money off him. Superman is further condemned when it mentions the scene of Hitler and Stalin handed over to the League of Nations and noting his superhero costume probably breaks the dress code in the building but that Superman ignores those rules "as well as the other laws of physics, logic, and life in general". The article ends with a final attack on Siegel where ''Das Schwarze Korps'' describes him as feeding "poison" on a daily basis to the hearts and minds of American children. Hitler was mocked in satirical
folk songs Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...
such as "
Stalin Wasn't Stallin' "Stalin Wasn't Stallin' (A Modern Spiritual)" was a song written in 1943 by Willie Johnson and originally recorded by the a cappella Gospel music, gospel group the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet (of which Johnson was a member) in 1943. Robert Wyat ...
or when new lyrics were created to old songs such as " Hitler Has Only Got One Ball" (to the tune of the "
Colonel Bogey March The "Colonel Bogey March" is a British march that was composed in 1914 by Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts (1881–1945) (pen name Kenneth J. Alford), a British Army bandmaster who later became the director of music for the Royal Marines at Plymouth. ...
").


Representations of Hitler after his death

After his death, Hitler continued to be depicted as incompetent or foolish. However, while Hitler's
anti-Semitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
policies were well known during his lifetime, it was only after his death that the full extent of
the Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
and other Nazi atrocities became known. This, coupled with Hitler no longer being a threat, has meant that the way he is depicted has resulted in Hitler being personified as evil. The 2003 television film '' Hitler: The Rise of Evil'' stars
Robert Carlyle Robert Carlyle (born 14 April 1961) is a Scottish actor. His film work includes '' Trainspotting'' (1996), '' The Full Monty'' (1997), '' The World Is Not Enough'' (1999), '' Angela's Ashes'' (1999), '' The Beach'' (2000), ''28 Weeks Later'' ...
in the title role and depicts a semi-fictional account of Hitler's life. ''Moloch'' (1999), directed by
Alexander Sokurov Alexander Nikolayevich Sokurov, PAR (russian: link=no, Александр Николаевич Сокуров; born 14 June 1951) is a Russian filmmaker. His most significant works include a feature film, ''Russian Ark'' (2002), filmed in a s ...
, starring
Leonid Mozgovoy Leonid (russian: Леонид ; uk, Леонід ; be, Леанід, Ljeaníd ) is a Slavic version of the given name Leonidas. The French version is Leonide. People with the name include: *Leonid Andreyev (1871–1919), Russian playwright ...
, deals with Hitler's life on his '' Berghof'' mountain retreat near
Berchtesgaden Berchtesgaden () is a municipality in the district Berchtesgadener Land, Bavaria, in southeastern Germany, near the border with Austria, south of Salzburg and southeast of Munich. It lies in the Berchtesgaden Alps, south of Berchtesgaden; th ...
during the war, drawing heavily from
Hitler's Table Talk "Hitler's Table Talk" (German: ''Tischgespräche im Führerhauptquartier'') is the title given to a series of World War II monologues delivered by Adolf Hitler, which were transcribed from 1941 to 1944. Hitler's remarks were recorded by Heinrich H ...
published after the war. Hitler's last days have been depicted in several films, first in ''Der letzte Akt'' (1955), directed by
Georg Wilhelm Pabst Georg Wilhelm Pabst (25 August 1885 – 29 May 1967) was an Austrian film director and screenwriter. He started as an actor and theater director, before becoming one of the most influential German-language filmmakers during the Weimar Republic. ...
, starring Albin Skoda as the dictator; next was the fifth and final installment of the Soviet film series ''
Liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...
'' (1969–72), directed by Yuri Ozerov, starring
Fritz Diez Fritz Diez (27 February 1901 – 19 October 1979) was a German actor, producer, director and theater manager. Biography Early life Diez's mother was a servant, and raised her three children alone. To support his family, the child began working a ...
(an actor who commonly portrayed Hitler in a number of East German films from 1955 onwards). ''
The Death of Adolf Hitler ''The Death of Adolf Hitler: Unknown Documents from Soviet Archives'' (german: Der Tod des Adolf Hitler: Unbekannte Dokumente aus Moskauer Archiven, links=no) is a 1968 book by Soviet journalist Lev Bezymenski, who served as an interpreter in t ...
'', a British (7 January 1973) made-for-television production, starring
Frank Finlay Francis Finlay, (6 August 1926 – 30 January 2016) was an English stage, film and television actor, Oscar-nominated for a supporting role as Iago in Laurence Olivier's 1965 film adaptation of ''Othello''. In 1983, Finlay was directed by It ...
in the title role, and '' Hitler: The Last Ten Days'' (1973), directed by Ennio de Concini, starring Sir
Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including '' Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1 ...
were the first Western contributions. The fifth iteration was the U.S. television film '' The Bunker'' (1981), directed by George Schaefer, starring Sir
Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...
. Finally, there was the
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment in ...
–nominated ''
Downfall Downfall may refer to: Books * ''The Downfall'' (novel), an 1892 book by Émile Zola * ''Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire'', a 1999 book by Richard B. Frank about the last days of World War II * ''Downfall'', a 2001 Dragonlance ...
'' (2004), directed by
Oliver Hirschbiegel Oliver Hirschbiegel (born 29 December 1957) is a German film director. His works include ''Das Experiment'' and the Oscar-nominated ''Downfall''. Life and career Hirschbiegel was born in Hamburg, Germany. A Waldorf graduate, Hirschbiegel studi ...
and starring
Bruno Ganz Bruno Ganz (; 22 March 1941 – 16 February 2019) was a Swiss actor whose career in German stage, television and film productions spanned nearly 60 years. He was known for his collaborations with the directors Werner Herzog, Éric Rohmer, Franc ...
as Hitler. Also depicting Hitler's final hour in the bunker, the short film ''Hundert Jahre Adolf Hitler - Die letzte Stunde im Führerbunker'' (1989), directed by
Christoph Schlingensief Christoph Maria Schlingensief (24 October 1960 – 21 August 2010) was a German theatre director, performance artist, and filmmaker. Starting as an independent underground filmmaker, Schlingensief later staged productions for theatres and festivals ...
, starring
Udo Kier Udo Kierspe (born 14 October 1944), known professionally as Udo Kier, is a German actor. Known primarily as a character actor, Kier has appeared in more than 220 films in both leading and supporting roles throughout Europe and the Americas. He ...
, cannot be considered a remake of the above films in the proper sense. Hitler was portrayed in the television miniseries ''
Inside the Third Reich ''Inside the Third Reich'' (german: Erinnerungen, "Memories") is a memoir written by Albert Speer, the Nazi Minister of Armaments from 1942 to 1945, serving as Adolf Hitler's main architect before this period. It is considered to be one of the m ...
'' (1982) by Sir
Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. He has appeared in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as ''Hamlet'', ''Much Ado About Nothing'', ''Macbeth'', ''Twelfth Night'', '' The Tempest'', ''King ...
, who wa
nominated
for an Emmy Award for his performance. Hitler was also portrayed in the film ''
Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997:36 ...
'' by
David Bamber David James Bamber (born 19 September 1954) is an English actor. He has worked in television and theatre. He is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Early years Bamber was born in Walkden, Lancashire. By September 1973, he was ...
, which tells the story of the July 1944 bomb attempt on his life. Another example of Hitler representations are comedy films such as
Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began ...
' comedy '' The Producers'' featured a satirical play-within-a-play called ''
Springtime for Hitler ''Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp With Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden'' is a fictional musical in Mel Brooks' 1967 film '' The Producers'', as well as the stage musical adaptation of the movie, and the 2005 movie adaptation of the musical. It ...
'', featuring dancing Nazis and songs about the conquest of Europe. Brooks' later comedy, ''
History of the World, Part I ''History of the World, Part I'' is a 1981 American comedy film written, produced, and directed by Mel Brooks. Brooks also stars in the film, playing five roles: Moses, Comicus the stand-up philosopher, Tomás de Torquemada, King Louis XVI, ...
'', featured "Hitler on Ice." Hitler has also been portrayed in experimental films. '' Hitler: A Film from Germany'' (1978), a four part, 442-minute experimental film on Hitler, directed by
Hans-Jürgen Syberberg Hans-Jürgen Syberberg (born 8 December 1935) is a German film director, whose best known film is his lengthy feature '' Hitler: A Film from Germany''. Early life Born in Nossendorf, Pomerania, the son of an estate owner, Syberberg lived unti ...
, starring Heinz Schubert. A similar non-linear approach to Syberberg's, likening Hitler to a movie director as well, was used in the film ''
The Empty Mirror ''The Empty Mirror'' is an experimental dramatic feature-length film using historical images and speculative fiction to study the life and mind of Adolf Hitler. The film is a psychological journey that examines the nature of evil and the dark stra ...
'' (1996), directed by
Barry J. Hershey Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 1950 ...
, starring
Norman Rodway Norman John Frank Rodway (7 February 1929 – 13 March 2001) was an Anglo-Irish actor. Early life Rodway was born at the family home, Elsinore (named after the castle where Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'' is set), on Coliemore Road, Dalkey, Dublin ...
, which speculates about Hitler surviving World War II, living in a secret subterranean bunker, and is today undergoing psychoanalysis conducted by
Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating psychopathology, pathologies explained as originatin ...
. Kosovar Emin Xhinovci has attracted considerable media attention for his striking resemblance to Hitler, and subsequent impersonation of him. ''Him'' (2001) is a sculpture resembling a schoolboy kneeling in prayer, except that the head has been replaced with the realistic likeness of
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
. The sculpture was frequently displayed at the end of a long hallway or at the opposite end of a white room, turned away from the viewer so that they wouldn't be able to recognize the individual until they advanced close enough. The artist's proof of ''Him'' (2001) was sold at auction by Christie's in 2016 for $17,189,000.


Hitler in fiction

WorldCat lists 553 published books under this heading.


Novels

* Ron Hansen (novelist), Ron Hansen's historical fiction novel ''Hitler's Niece'' parallels Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s with his relationship with his niece (and secret mistress) Geli Raubal. * In the novel ''Young Adolf'' (1978) by English author Beryl Bainbridge, the 23-year-old Hitler travels to Liverpool to visit his English relatives. * The 1962 short story ''Genesis and Catastrophe: A True Story'' by Roald Dahl portrays an unhappy husband in Austria in 1889 whose wife is about to give birth. The father is pessimistic about the child's survival as their previous three children have all died in infancy. Rebuked by the doctor for his gloominess, his confidence is boosted by his wife's conviction that their new baby, a boy, will survive. The father names his newborn son Adolf Hitler. * In the novel ''Hunters in the Snow (novel), Hunters in the Snow'' (2014) by English author D. M. Thomas, a young Hitler (going by the nom de guerre 'Wolf') becomes involved with Anna Freud and her father Sigmund Freud, Sigmund whilst residing in Vienna. Hitler appears in many alternate history (fiction), alternate history novels. * In H.G. Wells's ''The Shape of Things to Come'' (1933) Hitler's failure to revive the German economy by German re-armament, rearmament, cause the worldwide Great Depression, economic crisis to continue for thirty years, concurrently with a Second World War - a war fought between countries already on the verge of economic collapse, which is hastened by the war. Second World War breaks out in January 1940 with a European conflagration from the flashpoint of a violent clash between Germans and Poles at Free City of Danzig, Danzig - closely matching the actual outbreak of WWII. However, Wells's imagined war sharply diverges from the actual war when Second Polish Republic, Poland proves a military match for
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
. The inconclusive war lasts ten years. Other countries are eventually dragged into the fighting, though Third French Republic, France and the Soviet Union are only marginally involved. The United Kingdom remains neutral and the United States fights with Empire of Japan, Japan to indecisive effect on both sides. The Austrian ''Anschluss'' happens during, rather than before, the war. Czechoslovakia avoids German occupation. Its President, Edvard Beneš, survives to initiate the final Suspension of Hostilities in 1950. * In Philip K. Dick's 1962 ''The Man in the High Castle'', where the Hypothetical Axis victory in World War II, Axis Powers won the Second World War, America has been conquered and carved up between the Greater Germanic Reich and Imperial Japan, Hitler, after being stricken by the later stages of syphilis, was confined to a mental hospital, lunatic asylum shortly after World War II, and his place taken by Martin Bormann and, later,
Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the '' Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to ...
and possibly Reinhard Heydrich. ''The Grasshopper Lies Heavy'', by Hawthorne Abendsen, the story within the story, where the Allies won the war, in this timeline the United Kingdom contributes more to the Allied war effort, leading to joint British and Russian forces capturing Berlin, Hitler is also present at this Nuremberg trials and is eventually found guilty and executed for crimes against humanity. * Similarly, in Eric Norden's 1973 ''The Ultimate Solution'' Nazi Germany won the war and rules the world, but Hitler personally got little benefit of it. Having gone entirely mad, he is kept closely confined, constantly shouting at uncaring guards that he had been betrayed - while a double is taking his place in public ceremonies. * In Nancy Kress' ''And Wild for to Hold'' time-travelers intervene to change the past. Rather than assassinate Hitler, the humane emissaries from the future kidnap him alive from the year 1932, and keep him captive under comfortable conditions; Hitler spends his time mainly reading Science Fiction Space Opera novels for which he developed a taste. In his absence, 1933 comes and passes with no dictatorship in Germany and no persecution of Jews. * In Norman Spinrad's 1972 alternate history novel ''The Iron Dream'', Hitler in the early 1920s stopped dabbling in politics, emigrated to America, learned English and became a well-known and respected science fiction pulp novelist - author of ''Lord of the Swastika'', the text of which provides the bulk of the book. * In the controversial 1981 novella ''The Portage to San Cristobal of A.H.'' by George Steiner Hitler survives the end of the war and escapes to the Amazon jungle, where he is found and tried by Nazi-hunters 30 years later. Hitler's defence is that since Israel owes its existence to the Holocaust, he is really the benefactor of the Jews. * In Irving Wallace's ''The Seventh Secret'' (1985), Hitler and Eva Braun survive
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
by having doubles (a comedian named Manfred Müller and his girlfriend) murdered in their place (by Martin Bormann and others) staging the murder to look like suicide. * In Ira Levin's 1976 ''The Boys from Brazil (novel), The Boys from Brazil'', Hitler conspired with Josef Mengele to clone himself prior to his death. Using Hitler's blood, Mengele begins a project in the 1960s to clone several Hitlers and distribute the Hitler infants to families similar to that of the original. Mengele later attempts to recreate the sociological environment of Hitler's youth, beginning with killing the fathers of all the Hitler clones. Mengele's plan is to eventually create a second Hitler who will come of age in the 21st century and establish the Fourth Reich. * Forged journals of Hitler, known as the ''Hitler Diaries'', were published in West Germany by the magazine ''Stern (magazine), Stern'' in 1983. * The 1995 Robert Ludlum novel ''The Apocalypse Watch'' meets its climax with the destruction of a Fourth Reich set in the 1990s, and the discovery of an ancient Adolf Hitler controlling a massive multinational corporation. * Robert Harris (novelist), Robert Harris' 1992 novel ''Fatherland (novel), Fatherland'' is based on a fictional German victory in WWII and Hitler meeting with U.S. President Joseph P. Kennedy during the 1960s. * In ''The Plot Against America'' (2004), Philip Roth envisions what life would have been like in the United States had Charles Lindbergh defeated Franklin D. Roosevelt and became president during the 1940s, allying America with Nazi Germany. *Hitler is also the main 'protagonist' in the German dark satire novel ''Er ist wieder da'' ("Look Who's Back") by Timur Vermes, published in 2012. Hitler is shown to somehow reawaken, alive again, in Berlin of 2011 and, since no one believes him to really be Hitler, becomes a meme on YouTube as a Hitler impersonator. * Lavie Tidhar's novel, ''A Man Lies Dreaming'' (2014) features a thinly-disguised Hitler (going by the nom de guerre 'Wolf' – which Hitler used during the 1920s) as a down-at-heels private eye in a 1930s London, in a world where the communists, rather than the Nazis, came to power in Germany. * Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen's novel, ''1945 (1995 novel), 1945'' (1995) Where the United States only went to war, and won against the Empire of Japan, allowing Nazi Germany to force a peace treaty with the Soviet Union, America has no interest in getting involved with the European conflict, even the British Empire with a German-occupied Europe, German-dominated Europe at its doorstep, squander much of their resources on a First Indochina War, colonial war in the former French Indochina, however when a meeting between Hitler and U.S President Andrew Harrison goes bad, after the meeting in Reykjavík, Iceland, Hitler makes a plan to destroy the U.S and U.K this involves, as part of the preparations, a beautiful German spy seduces and suborns the White House Chief of Staff and makes him a key German spy, and Erwin Rommel invading Scotland. * James Herbert's novel, '''48 (novel), '48'' (1996) before committing suicide, Hitler orders launches a biological weapon is the shape of a V-2 missile to wipe out all life on Earth. * Stephen Fry's novel, ''Making History (novel), ''Making History'''' (1996) features two men Michael Young and Professor Leo Zuckerman, who build a time machine, go back in time and put a permanent Male oral contraceptive, male contraceptive pill in Alois Hitler, Hitler's father drink, making him infertility, infertile, thus Hitler is never born, however when they return to the present they discover they got rid of Hitler only to replace him with someone far worse, Rudolf Golber. * Hans Alfredson's novel, ''Attentatet i Pålsjö skog'' (1996) In 1941 Swedish Communists blow up a German train passing through Sweden, killing Eva Braun, leading Hitler to successfully invade Sweden, because of this Operation Barbarossa is delayed by three weeks allowing Joseph Stalin, Stalin to be better prepared, the allied invasion of Normandy is in spring 1944 rather than June, in December that same year Hitler commits suicide, Sweden is liberated by joint British and Russian forces and the war ends a year earlier. * Guy Walters' ''The Leader'' (2003), Edward VIII, King Edward VIII never abdicates, marries Wallis Simpson, leading to Oswald Mosley winning the 1935 United Kingdom general election, 1935 election, allying the United Kingdom with the Axis Powers, Mosley conspires with Hitler to join him in the Final Solution. * Harry Turtledove's novel, "Uncle Alf" Alfred von Schlieffen, doesn't die in 1913, survives to personally oversee the successful implementation of his Schlieffen Plan, famous plan for two-front war against Third French Republic, France and Russian Empire, Russia. Germany wins World War I in 1914 after only a few months, the Nazis never come into existence, Hitler is a Sergeant in the Feldgendarmerie is sent to Lille in pursuit of communist agitator Jacques Doriot. * In K. A. Applegate, Katherine Applegate's series ''Animorphs'', Adolf Hitler makes an appearance in the third book of the spinoff series ''List of Animorphs books, Megamorphs'' as an alternate version of himself where he is but a mere driver for the French-German troops. He is killed by Tobias using Tobias' Hork-Bajir morph, where his throat is slit by the wrist blades of the Hork-Bajir. * Harry Turtledove's novel, ''In the Presence of Mine Enemies (2003 novel), In the Presence of Mine Enemies'' (2003) set in an alternative 2010 where the United States remained United States isolationism, isolationist allowing the Axis victory in World War II, victory to the Axis powers to carve the world up between themselves, Fuhrer is the most powerful man in the world and the Third Reich in the 1970s conquered the U.S and Canada, Berlin is rebuilt into Hitler's image. * Harry Turtledove's novels, The War That Came Early series (2009-2014) depicting an alternate history of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
where it began in 1938 over Czechoslovakia. With nations constantly switching sides in 1944 Hitler is assassinated and the Nazi Government overthrown in a Coup d'etat the new Military Junta successfully negotiates an end to the war. * Harry Turtledove's novels, ''Southern Victory'' (1997-2007), where the south won the American Civil War, in this alternative First World War the United States allied with the Central Powers and the Confederate States join the Entente powers, Entente, the Central Powers win the Great War (Harry Turtledove), First Great War in this timeline, the Nazis never come into existence, however in the Confederacy a man called Jake Featherstone, rises to power and is the Hitler counterpart of this timeline. *Jo Walton's ''Farthing (novel), Farthing'' in this alternative history Rudolf Hess#Flight to Scotland, Rudolf Hess's flight to Scotland in May 1941 manages to successfully negotiate peace terms with the United Kingdom, mainly because the United States never gets involved with the conflict, this is because Imperial Japan never attacks Pearl Harbor, resulting in the British Empire pulling out of the war, and by 1949, Britain has also become a fascist dictatorship, the sequel ''Ha'penny (novel), Ha'penny'' the main character Inspector Peter Carmichael, has to stop an attempt to kill Hitler as he comes to London as part of the two countries new friendship.


Theatre

Hitler made it onto the stage through Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima, who wrote a play called ''My Friend Hitler'' (''Wagatomo Hitora''), retelling the Night of the Long Knives. Moreover, the Hungary, Hungarian writer George Tabori wrote a comedy called ''Mein Kampf'' which portrayed Hitler as a poor young man who enters Vienna, wanting to become an artist. Hitler appears as a minor character in Stanley Eveling's ''The Dead of Night'', set above the Führerbunker as the Russians are entering Berlin. ''Dr Freud Will See You Now Mr Hitler'' (2008) was a radio drama by Laurence Marks (British writer), Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran presenting an imagined scenario in which
Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( , ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating psychopathology, pathologies explained as originatin ...
treats the young Hitler. Toby Jones played Hitler. Utpal Dutt's 1975 Bengali theatre, Bengali play ''Barricade (Bengali drama), Barricade'' is set in the time that Hitler is rising to power. In 2021
Gamma Ray Theatre
launched their debut productio
"Ay Up, Hitler!
Written by Hampshire playwright David McCulloch, the play tells the untold "true" story of how Hitler and other high-ranking members of the Nazi Germany, Third Reich, actually escaped Germany at the end of the war, and went into hiding in Yorkshire. The play was praised for its "razor sharp satire" and "Blackadder-esque" dialogue, and performed at Brighton Fringe 2022.


Film

*Bobby Watson (actor), Bobby Watson played Hitler in **''The Devil with Hitler'' (1942) **''Hitler – Dead or Alive'' (1942) **''That Nazty Nuisance'' (1943) **''The Miracle of Morgan's Creek'' (1944) **''The Hitler Gang'' (1944) **''A Foreign Affair'' (1948) **''The Story of Mankind (film), The Story of Mankind'' (1957) **''On the Double (film), On the Double'' (1961) **''Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (film), The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse'' (1962) * ''Ace of Aces (1982 film), The Ace of Aces'' (1982), Günter Meisner plays Hitler and Hitler's half-sister Angela Hitler, Angela * ''Blazing Saddles'' (1974): an actor playing Hitler in a film eats at the Warner Bros. commissary * ''Blubberella'' (2011): played by the film's director, Uwe Boll * ''The Boys from Brazil (film), The Boys from Brazil'' (1978): a madman cloning, clones Hitler * '' The Bunker'' (1981), played by
Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...
* ''BloodRayne: The Third Reich'' (2011), played by Boris Bakal * ''
Bosko's Picture Show ''Bosko's Picture Show'' is a Warner Bros. ''Looney Tunes'' animated short directed by Hugh Harman and Friz Freleng. It was the last ''Looney Tunes'' Bosko cartoon produced by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising for Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros. T ...
'' (1933): Hitler chases
Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced songs ...
with an axe. * ''Captain America: The First Avenger'' (2011): Steve Rogers performs in a war bond tour in which he "knocks out" Hitler; he tells the members of Bucky Barnes' unit "I've knocked out Adolf Hitler over 200 times!" * Carl Ekberg played Hitler in ** ''Citizen Kane'' (1941) ** '' Man Hunt'' (1941) ** ''The Wife Takes a Flyer'' (1942) ** ''Once Upon a Honeymoon'' (1942) ** ''What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?'' (1966) * ''Chaplin (film), Chaplin'' (1992): Charlie Chaplin refuses to shake hands with man discussing Hitler at a party and discusses him with his brother Sidney Chaplin, Sidney during pre-production on ''
The Great Dictator ''The Great Dictator'' is a 1940 American anti-war political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the ...
'' * ''Countdown to War'' (1989), played by Ian McKellen * ''Daffy – The Commando'' (1943): Daffy Duck hits Hitler on the head with a mallet * ''Deadpool 2'' (2018): During the post-credits scene (extended cut only), Deadpool uses Cable (comics), Cable's time travel device to kill Hitler as a baby. * ''Dear Friend Hitler'' (2011), played by Raghuvir Yadav * ''
The Death of Adolf Hitler ''The Death of Adolf Hitler: Unknown Documents from Soviet Archives'' (german: Der Tod des Adolf Hitler: Unbekannte Dokumente aus Moskauer Archiven, links=no) is a 1968 book by Soviet journalist Lev Bezymenski, who served as an interpreter in t ...
'' (1973), played by
Frank Finlay Francis Finlay, (6 August 1926 – 30 January 2016) was an English stage, film and television actor, Oscar-nominated for a supporting role as Iago in Laurence Olivier's 1965 film adaptation of ''Othello''. In 1983, Finlay was directed by It ...
*
Fritz Diez Fritz Diez (27 February 1901 – 19 October 1979) was a German actor, producer, director and theater manager. Biography Early life Diez's mother was a servant, and raised her three children alone. To support his family, the child began working a ...
played Hitler in ** ''Ernst Thälmann (film), Ernst Thälmann – Führer seiner Klasse'' (1955) ** ''Frozen Flashes (film), Frozen Flashes'' (1967) ** ''I, Justice (film), I, Justice'' (1967) ** ''
Liberation Liberation or liberate may refer to: Film and television * ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War * "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode * "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode Gaming * '' Liberati ...
'' (1970–1) ** ''Seventeen Moments of Spring'' (1973) ** ''Take Aim (1974 film), Take Aim'' (1974) ** ''Soldiers of Freedom'' (1977) * ''Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn'' (1995): Hitler escapes from Hell and attempts to take over a city * ''
The Empty Mirror ''The Empty Mirror'' is an experimental dramatic feature-length film using historical images and speculative fiction to study the life and mind of Adolf Hitler. The film is a psychological journey that examines the nature of evil and the dark stra ...
'' (1996), played by
Norman Rodway Norman John Frank Rodway (7 February 1929 – 13 March 2001) was an Anglo-Irish actor. Early life Rodway was born at the family home, Elsinore (named after the castle where Shakespeare's ''Hamlet'' is set), on Coliemore Road, Dalkey, Dublin ...
* ''Europa, Europa'' (1990), played by Ryszard Pietruski * ''Fatherland (1994 film), Fatherland'' (1994), directed by Christopher Menaul * ''Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa'' (2005): Edward learns from Lang that the Thule Society plans to use the weapons from his world to help Hitler in his attempt to start a revolution * ''The Good Shepherd (film), The Good Shepherd'' (2006): Fredericks takes Wilson to a meeting where Hitler is discussed; Murach recruits Wilson to expose Fredericks as a Nazi * ''
The Great Dictator ''The Great Dictator'' is a 1940 American anti-war political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the ...
'' (1940): Adenoid Hynkel is a parody of Hitler * ''Hellboy (2004 film), Hellboy'' (2004): New BPRD agent John Myers is told Hitler died in 1958, not in 1945 * ''Hitler (1962 film), Hitler'' (1962), played by Richard Basehart * ''Hitler: A Film from Germany, Hitler, ein Film aus Deutschland'' (1977) documentary by
Hans-Jürgen Syberberg Hans-Jürgen Syberberg (born 8 December 1935) is a German film director, whose best known film is his lengthy feature '' Hitler: A Film from Germany''. Early life Born in Nossendorf, Pomerania, the son of an estate owner, Syberberg lived unti ...
* '' Hitler: The Last Ten Days'' (1973), played by
Alec Guinness Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including '' Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1 ...
* ''Hitler Umanath'' (1982): a timid man who resembles Hitler becomes a leader * ''Hitler's Brain and the Robot from Hell'' (2015): A scientist inadvertently resurrects Hitler by inserting his brain into a robot meant for another historical figure * ''Hitler's SS: Portrait in Evil'' (1985), played by Colin Jeavons * The Three Stooges
Moe Howard Moses Harry Horwitz (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975), known professionally as Moe Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He is best known as the leader of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television ...
parodied Hitler as "Moe Hailstone" in two of the Stooges' short subject films: ** ''
You Nazty Spy! ''You Nazty Spy!'' is a 1940 comedy film directed by Jules White and starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Curly Howard). It is the 44th short film released by Columbia Pictures starring the comed ...
'', the first Hollywood film work to lampoon Hitler, released nine months (January 1940) before ''The Great Dictator'' ** ''
I'll Never Heil Again ''I'll Never Heil Again'' is a 1941 short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 56th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures st ...
'', the sequel to ''You Nazty Spy!'' (released July 1941) * ''Inglourious Basterds'' (2009), played by Martin Wuttke * ''Is Paris Burning? (film), Is Paris Burning'' (1966), played by Billy Frick * ''Jackboot Mutiny, Es geschah am 20. Juli'' (1955), directed by G. W. Pabst * ''Jojo Rabbit'' (2019), played by Taika Waititi: he appears as the imaginary friend of Hitler Youth member Johannes 'Jojo' Betzler, initially behaving in a childlike manner, but becoming more like the real-life dictator as Jojo increasingly questions Nazi doctrine * ''The King's Speech'' (2010), King George VI watches a newsreel of Hitler giving a speech *''King of Hearts (1966 film), King of Hearts'', young Corporal Adolf played by Philippe de Broca suggests burning a French town. * ''A Kitten for Hitler'' (2007) by Ken Russell * Jorma Taccone played Hitler in ** ''Kung Fury'' (2015) ** ''Kung Fury 2'' (2020) * Luther Adler played Hitler in **''The Magic Face'' (1951) **''The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel, The Desert Fox'' (1951) * ''The Man Who Crossed Hitler'' (2011), played by Ian Hart * ''Look Who's Back (film), Look Who's Back'' (2015), played by Oliver Masucci * ''Max (2002 film), Max'' (2002), played by Noah Taylor * ''Meet the People'' (1944), played by Frederick Giermann * ''Mein Kampf'' (2009), played by Tom Schilling * ''Moloch (1999 film), Moloch'' (1999), directed by
Alexander Sokurov Alexander Nikolayevich Sokurov, PAR (russian: link=no, Александр Николаевич Сокуров; born 14 June 1951) is a Russian filmmaker. His most significant works include a feature film, ''Russian Ark'' (2002), filmed in a s ...
* ''Night Train to Munich'' (1940), played by Billy Russell (comedian), Billy Russell * ''The Plot to Kill Hitler'' (1990), played by Mike Gwilym * '' The Producers'' (1968): two men agree to produce a Broadway play about Hitler, hoping it will flop * ''Star Spangled Rhythm'' (1942), played by Tom Dugan (actor, born 1889), Tom Dugan * ''The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler (film), The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler'' (1943), played by Ludwig Donath * Udo Schenk played Hitler in ** ''Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero'' (2004) ** ''Stauffenberg (film), Stauffenberg'' (2004) * Michael Sheard played Hitler in ** ''The Tomorrow People'' (1973) ** ''Rogue Male (1976 TV film), Rogue Male'' (1976) ** ''The Dirty Dozen: Next Mission'' (1985) ** ''Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'' (1989) ** ''Secret History (TV series), Secret History'' (2003) * ''Timecop 2: The Berlin Decision'' (2003): a member of the Time Enforcement Commission travels back in time to assassinate Hitler * ''Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea'' (1977), time travel comedy, directed by Jindřich Polák * ''They Saved Hitler's Brain'' (1969): Nazi madmen preserve Hitler's brain so they can resurrect him *''The Fall of Berlin (film), The Fall of Berlin'' (1950) played by Vladimir Savelyev * ''The Plot to Assassinate Hitler, Der 20. Juli'' (1955), directed by Falk Harnack * ''Downfall (2004 film), Der Untergang'' (English: ''Downfall'') (2004), played by
Bruno Ganz Bruno Ganz (; 22 March 1941 – 16 February 2019) was a Swiss actor whose career in German stage, television and film productions spanned nearly 60 years. He was known for his collaborations with the directors Werner Herzog, Éric Rohmer, Franc ...
* ''
Valkyrie In Norse mythology, a valkyrie ("chooser of the slain") is one of a host of female figures who guide souls of the dead to the god Odin's hall Valhalla. There, the deceased warriors become (Old Norse "single (or once) fighters"Orchard (1997:36 ...
'' (2008), played by
David Bamber David James Bamber (born 19 September 1954) is an English actor. He has worked in television and theatre. He is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Early years Bamber was born in Walkden, Lancashire. By September 1973, he was ...
* ''War and Remembrance (miniseries), War and Remembrance'' (1988), played by Steven Berkoff * ''White Tiger (2012 film), White Tiger'' (2012), directed by Karen Shakhnazarov * ''Elser – Er hätte die Welt verändert'' (2015), directed by
Oliver Hirschbiegel Oliver Hirschbiegel (born 29 December 1957) is a German film director. His works include ''Das Experiment'' and the Oscar-nominated ''Downfall''. Life and career Hirschbiegel was born in Hamburg, Germany. A Waldorf graduate, Hirschbiegel studi ...
. Hitler is played by Udo Schenk and the film is based on the assassination attempt at Bürgerbräukeller. *''Iron Sky: The Coming Race'' Hitler is played by
Udo Kier Udo Kierspe (born 14 October 1944), known professionally as Udo Kier, is a German actor. Known primarily as a character actor, Kier has appeared in more than 220 films in both leading and supporting roles throughout Europe and the Americas. He ...
and is the leader of an alien race called the Vril. * ''The Winds of War (miniseries), The Winds of War'' (1983), played by Gunter Meisner * ''Which Way to the Front?'' (1970): a comedy film about the 20 July Plot. * ''The King's Man'' (2021), played by David Kross


Television documentaries

* ''The World at War'' (1974): a Thames Television series which contains much information about Hitler and Nazi Germany, including an interview with his secretary, Traudl Junge * "Adolf Hitler's Last Days": from the BBC series ''Secrets of World War II'', the episode tells the story of Hitler's last days * ''The Nazis: A Warning from History'' (1997): six-part BBC TV series on how cultured and educated Germans accepted Hitler and the Nazis. Historical consultant was Ian Kershaw * ''Im toten Winkel, Im toten Winkel – Hitlers Sekretärin (Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary)'' (2002): a 90-minute interview with Traudl Junge. Made by Austrian Jewish director André Heller shortly before Junge's death from lung cancer. Junge recalls the last days in the Berlin bunker. Clips of the interview were used in ''
Downfall Downfall may refer to: Books * ''The Downfall'' (novel), an 1892 book by Émile Zola * ''Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire'', a 1999 book by Richard B. Frank about the last days of World War II * ''Downfall'', a 2001 Dragonlance ...
''. * ''The Architecture of Doom, Undergångens arkitektur (The Architecture of Doom)'' (1989): documentary about the National Socialist aesthetic as envisioned by Hitler * ''Das Fernsehen unter dem Hakenkreuz (Television Under the Swastika)'' (1999): documentary by Michael Kloft about the use of television in Nazi Germany for propaganda purposes from 1935 to 1944 * '' Hitler: The Rise of Evil'' (2003): two-part TV series about the early years of Adolf Hitler and his rise to power (up to 1933), starring
Robert Carlyle Robert Carlyle (born 14 April 1961) is a Scottish actor. His film work includes '' Trainspotting'' (1996), '' The Full Monty'' (1997), '' The World Is Not Enough'' (1999), '' Angela's Ashes'' (1999), '' The Beach'' (2000), ''28 Weeks Later'' ...
. * ''Ruins of the Reich'' (2007): a four-part series detailing the rise and fall of Hitler's Reich, created by historian R.J. Adams * ''Apocalypse: Hitler'' (2011): a two-part television series chronicling the rise of Adolf Hitler and the birth of Nazi ideology *''The Man in the High Castle (TV series), The Man in the High Castle'' (2015): an old Hitler makes an appearance in an alternative world where the Axis Powers won the World War II.


Comics and cartoons

DC Comics feature Hitler on several occasions. In ''Strange Adventures'' #3 (December 1950-January 1951), there is a story in which Hitler is captured by space aliens just before his attempted suicide. A fake corpse is left for the SS to find. As punishment for Hitler's crimes, he is imprisoned for life alone on a rocket ship which will travel through space until he dies (the rocket ship can automatically manufacture its own food for him); during his waking hours, he is forced to listen to an endless loop recording of all the speeches he has ever made. The character known as the Unknown Soldier (DC Comics), Unknown Soldier, who first appeared in June 1966, kills Hitler, impersonates him for a short time, then pretends his death was a suicide. In ''Outsiders (comics), Adventures of the Outsiders'' #33-35, a clone of Hitler is created by Baron Bedlam. Planning to give the clone the same persona as the original, Bedlam gives him an intellectual disability, intellectually disabled Jewish maid, several films of the Holocaust and a handgun, Bedlam's intention being for the clone to embrace Nazism and ultimately murder the maid to "prove himself" as Hitler. Instead, the clone—realizing his connection to the atrocities he views—commits suicide. In DC Comics' Elseworlds imprint, ''The Golden Age (comics), The Golden Age'', Hitler's brain is successfully transplanted into the brain pan of TNT (comics), Dyna-Mite. Now pretending to be a superhero called Dynaman, he plots in resurrecting Nazi ideals with the aid of the Ultra-Humanite. He possessed a magical item, the Holy Lance, Spear of Destiny, which gave him control over superpowered beings that entered Nazi territory, an explanation for why the Justice Society of America did not enter Berlin and end the war. In Fawcett Comics, Fawcett Pre-''Crisis'' comics, he was a member of the Monster Society of Evil with Benito Mussolini and Hideki Tojo, and other Nazis like (List of Captain Marvel (DC Comics) enemies) Herr Phoul were other members of the Society. He was shown to have helped in the creation of super-strong Aryan supervillain Captain Nazi. In ''Weird War Tales'' #58 (1977) "Death of a dictator" Hitler kills a raving man dressed in rags before going into suspended animation in the belief history will repeat and he will be able to rebuild the Third Reich. The story ends with our Hitler with long hair being killed in exactly the same manner the raving man dressed in rags was. The final panel reveals that the scientist was all too correct in that history would repeat as our Hitler's killer looks exactly like he did originally and he is going to his suspended animation chamber and these events will replay themselves...forever. In the comic book ''The Savage Dragon'' by Erik Larsen (published by Image Comics), Hitler did not die in 1945, but after a fight against Hellboy in Romania in 1952. His body ruined, the brain is Organ transplant, transplanted to the body of a large gorilla. Suffering amnesia and calling himself Brainiape, the Chimera (mythology), chimera possesses great psionic powers and joins the Chicago, IL criminal organization known as the Vicious Circle (comics), Vicious Circle, eventually becoming its leader. He remembers his past only in 1996 when he encounters Hellboy again, alongside the Vicious Circle's enemy, the meta-talented policeman called Dragon. The ape body is killed, and it is revealed that Hitler's brain had Mutation, mutated and could live unaided by any technology or host body, ambulatory on tiny legs. Marvel Comics' villain the Hate-Monger is revealed to be the consciousness of Hitler transferred to a cloned body by Nazi scientist Arnim Zola. The original Hitler, rather than committing suicide, was confronted by the Human Torch (Golden Age), Human Torch and his sidekick Toro (comics), Toro after Eva Braun committed suicide. The two heroes set Hitler ablaze as he attempted to set off a bomb. As he died, he commanded one of his loyal followers nearby to tell the world he had committed suicide. The clone is killed in ''Fantastic Four'' #21 when the Invisible Girl makes him hit his own troops with his hate-ray, causing them to shoot him for getting them into a battle with the Fantastic Four. At the time of his death, he was planning to start wars using a ray which caused hatred and to which only he possessed the antidote to, having started with a South American country. He preached ideas of bigotry also while in America. In another story, Hitler is seen in the Hellish realm of the demon Mephisto (comics), Mephisto. In the British comic ''2000 AD (comics), 2000 AD'' a storyline called The Shicklgruber Grab from ''Strontium Dog'' mutant bounty hunters Johnny Alpha and Wulf Sternhammer are hired to go back to 1945 and bring Hitler to the future the stand trial, Hitler who murdered Eva Braun shortly after marrying her, and used his simpleton body double to commit suicide so he could escape and start the Fourth Reich, however gets dragged to the future not understanding what's going on.
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
produced wartime cartoons which constantly parodied Hitler and his personality traits and quirks. Most (if not all) cartoons with Hitler and the Nazis as the antagonists ended up with the American hero cartoon character (such as
Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Mer ...
or Daffy Duck) making a mockery out of Hitler. Japanese manga artist Shigeru Mizuki wrote ''Gekiga Hitler'', first serialized in ''Weekly Manga Sunday'' in 1971 and published in English in 2015 as ''Shigeru Mizuki's Hitler'' by Drawn & Quarterly. The episode "Alternative Histories", from the Netflix animated series ''Love, Death & Robots'', centers in five scenarios where an alternative death of the dictator occurs. In the comic book series ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' by Alan Moore, set in an alternate universe where several other works of fiction are real, Adenoid Hynkel, the Hitler spoof played by Charlie Chaplin in his film ''
The Great Dictator ''The Great Dictator'' is a 1940 American anti-war political satire black comedy film written, directed, produced, scored by, and starring British comedian Charlie Chaplin, following the tradition of many of his other films. Having been the ...
'', is a real person and has the same role in the comic series that Hitler had in real life. In the world of ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'', Tomainia (the country Hynkel ruled in ''The Great Dictator'') was annexed by Nazi Germany in a similar manner to the Anschluss and the "Double Cross" emblem used in the film for Hynkel-controlled Tomainia is instead used as the Nazi flag instead of the Swastika in reality, meaning that this version of Hynkel isn't exactly the same as the film. The personality of the comic book Hynkel combines the buffoonish mentality of the film Hynkel with the evil tyranny of Hitler both in real life and in the various fictional works that depict him. Hynkel is mentioned in passing in ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century, Volume III: Century'' but only appears as a character in ''Nemo: The Roses of Berlin'' which is part of the ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Nemo Trilogy, Nemo Trilogy''. ''Nemo: The Roses of Berlin'' also mentions that an American comedian named "Addie Hitler" has made a movie that mocked Hynkel's regime, an obvious reference to ''The Great Dictator''.


Hitler in music

Many songs tell a story about Hitler one way or the other, for example "Götterdämmerung" by Stratovarius directly mentions the history of Hitler and the Nazi regime. David Bowie has also been quoted saying "Hitler was the first rock star" and, at one time, wanted to direct a film based on the life of Heinrich Himmler. "Heads We're Dancing" by Kate Bush tells the story of a woman who dances all night with a charming stranger, only to discover the following morning that he is Adolf Hitler. Texas Groove metal band Pantera wrote and recorded a song called "By Demons Be Driven". It tells the story of how Hitler was plagued by paranoia and began to hate the Jewish people and religion. Australian band TISM's debut single was "Defecate on My Face", which was about Adolf Hitler's supposed coprophilia. Australian comedy troupe the Doug Anthony Allstars had a song called "Mexican Hitler", which told the story of what Hitler would have been like if he was born Mexican. It made an appearance in their television show, ''DAAS Kapital''. The song "Hitler as Kalki" by apocalyptic folk band Current 93 makes use of Savitri Devi's idea that Hitler was an avatar of the Hindu god Kalki. "Two Little Hitlers" by Elvis Costello, superficially a song about a loveless couple but reportedly a real-life reflection of the relationship between the singer and his producer Nick Lowe (who had previously recorded a song entitled "Little Hitler", the similarities leading to speculations about the origins of the later song) on the album ''Armed Forces (album), Armed Forces''. Antony and the Johnsons have released the song "Hitler in My Heart" on their Antony and the Johnsons (album), debut in which the term "Hitler" is generally used as a metaphore for the bad within oneself - likewise in the song "Crack Hitler" by Faith No More from Angel Dust (Faith No More album), Angel Dust. Other songs take a more serious approach and deal with Hitler's impact on the world. Thrash metal group Flotsam and Jetsam (band), Flotsam and Jetsam recorded the song "Der Fuhrer" for their album ''Doomsday for the Deceiver''. The song discusses the devastation Hitler caused in Europe. New York City, New York metal band Anthrax (American band), Anthrax recorded the song "The Enemy" for their album ''Spreading the Disease''. The song discusses Hitler's role in
the Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
. There are some examples of parodies involving Hitler. Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters reference Hitler in the song, Hot Time in the Town of Berlin. "
Der Fuehrer's Face ''Der Fuehrer's Face'' (originally titled ''A Nightmare in Nutziland'' or ''Donald Duck in Nutziland'' ) is a 1943 American Animated cartoon, animated anti-Nazi propaganda short film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Product ...
" is an elaborate parody on Nazism created by musical comedian
Spike Jones Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was an American musician and bandleader specializing in spoof arrangements of popular songs and classical music. Ballads receiving the Jones treatment were punctuated with gun ...
. It is one of his most well-known tunes. A novelty Rapping, rap song entitled "To Be or Not to Be (The Hitler Rap)" performed by
Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began ...
is on the movie ''To Be or Not to Be (1983 film), To Be or Not to Be's'' soundtrack album, but it was not in the movie itself. Mel Brooks dressed as Hitler sings from behind a desk while male dancers in pants, harnesses and SS caps made of black leather and female dancers in fishnet stockings dance wildly with each other around Hitler on a large dance floor with a checkerboard design. Songs about Adolf Hitler include: *"Adolf Hitler (calypso), Adolf Hitler" by Clifford Morris, better known as the Mighty Destroyer *"Mr. Hitler" by Lead Belly *"Hot Time in the Town of Berlin" by Bing Crosby and the Andrew Sisters *"Defecate on My Face", by TISM *"Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend (song), Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend" by Mr. T Experience *"
Der Fuehrer's Face ''Der Fuehrer's Face'' (originally titled ''A Nightmare in Nutziland'' or ''Donald Duck in Nutziland'' ) is a 1943 American Animated cartoon, animated anti-Nazi propaganda short film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, Walt Disney Product ...
" by
Spike Jones Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was an American musician and bandleader specializing in spoof arrangements of popular songs and classical music. Ballads receiving the Jones treatment were punctuated with gun ...
*"The Sensual World, Heads We're Dancing" by Kate Bush *'' Hitler Has Only Got One Ball''—World War II British soldiers marching song *"
Springtime for Hitler ''Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp With Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden'' is a fictional musical in Mel Brooks' 1967 film '' The Producers'', as well as the stage musical adaptation of the movie, and the 2005 movie adaptation of the musical. It ...
" from the film and play ''The Producers'' by
Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began ...


Internet

Parodied clips from the 2004 film ''
Downfall Downfall may refer to: Books * ''The Downfall'' (novel), an 1892 book by Émile Zola * ''Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire'', a 1999 book by Richard B. Frank about the last days of World War II * ''Downfall'', a 2001 Dragonlance ...
'' have proliferated internationally via YouTube and other video sites. The parodies replace the subtitles from the original movie with incorrect subtitles. The most frequently used clips include the scene where Hitler receives news of the advancing Red Army vastly outnumbering the forces commanded by Felix Steiner, and where Hitler orders Otto Günsche to find ''SS-Gruppenführer'' Hermann Fegelein. They are subtitled with references to Hitler becoming angry over various facets of modern pop culture such as politics, online gaming, movies, television, music, sports and many other local or international events. The phenomenon started in English language, English but has spread to other languages including Japanese language, Japanese (massive number of videos on Nico Nico Douga on various topics), Chinese language, Chinese (influenced by Japan, comments on Wenzhou train collision and many other sensational topics mainly on Tudou and Youku. In addition, Hong Kong people used the clip to criticize social events, like Cable TV un-subscription, salt shortage due to misbelief of salt being able to protect from radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, Fukushima nuclear disaster), Bulgarian language, Bulgarian (to ridicule Bulgarian president Georgi Parvanov for being a State Security agent during the communist dictatorship and for being a poacher), Romanian language, Romanian (for the 2009 presidential election), Croatian language, Croatian (comments about frequent affairs in the government), Serbian language, Serbian (regarding poor results by football team Red Star Belgrade, FK Red Star), Quebec French, French (about the weather), Spanish language, Spanish (about a wide variety of topics mainly related to Argentine and Chilean local events), Indonesian language, Indonesian (mainly about local politics, presidential elections, cultures, and also everyday life), and Hebrew language, Hebrew (about the difficulty of finding parking space in Tel Aviv). Footage and/or characters from other films, ranging from other depictions of Hitler in the likes of ''Inglourious Basterds'' or '' Hitler: The Last Ten Days'', or even films that have little or nothing to do with ''Downfall'', are also juxtaposed for humorous effect. On April 21, 2010, Constantin Film, the production and distribution company responsible for the film, initiated a massive removal of parody videos on YouTube. This removal was criticized by digital rights advocates and was followed by the appearance of self-referential parody videos on the very subject of Constantin's actions with respect to the parodies. In the shared alternate history of Ill Bethisad (1997 and after), Adolf Hitler never went into politics but instead moved to New Amsterdam (Ill Bethisad's version of New York City) and wrote science fiction, in a similar manner to the version of Hitler depicted in the novel ''The Iron Dream''. Unlike in real life or ''The Iron Dream'', the fictional alternate universe of Hitler was never anti-Semitic. Hitler actually ''liked'' the Jewish people he met early in life in Vienna, preventing his anti-Semitism. Hitler also created the alternate history genre in Ill Bethisad and his most famous work there, ''The Dream of Iron'', is an example of one. The villains of ''The Dream of Iron'' are the "Empire of Zand" which resemble the Nazis. The website Cats That Look Like Hitler features pictures of cats that bear some resemblance to the German leader. Godwin's Law states "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one". From this is derived an additional formulation, also encountered online, which states "The first person to mention the Third Reich automatically loses the argument". In 2010, Hitler has been portrayed by EpicLLOYD in the second episode of YouTube series ''Epic Rap Battles of History'', "Darth Vader vs. Hitler", where he faces Darth Vader (portrayed by co-creator Nice Peter) in a rap battle. In 2011, in Season two's first episode, "Hitler vs. Vader 2", EpicLLOYD and Nice Peter reprised their roles in a second rap battle between Darth Vader and Hitler and again for the start of season three, in the episode "Hitler vs. Vader 3", which was uploaded on October 7, 2013, on the series' YouTube channel. In 2012, an Internet meme statement Hitler was "HDNW" is an Internet meme statement used for trolling purposes for
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
denial, who was responsible for during his reign were morally wrong, and for Holocaust denial. It was made by 4chan, which hijacked the campaign of Mountain Dew. In 2013, a kettle, which was dubbed the "Hitler teapot", went viral on Reddit and other social media sites because of its apparent resemblance to Hitler.


Art

Salvador Dalí painted several pictures involving Hitler. ''The Enigma of Hitler'' (1939) depicts a torn photograph of Hitler on a plate in a typically surreal landscape over which hangs a broken telephone and an umbrella. He also painted the ''Metamorphosis of the Face of Hitler into a Moonlit Landscape'' (1958). One of his late works was ''Hitler Masturbating'' (1973), depicting just that, with Hitler seen from behind in an armchair in the center of a snow-filled desolate landscape. Hitler is depicted in a balloon overlooking marching, helmeted troops in the painting ''Vision of War'' by Indian artist A. Ramachandran. A picture of him with Gandhi by M. F. Husain was controversial with Hindutva groups in India.


In India

The name "Hitler" is widely used for anyone who is overly authoritarian in manner, but it does not have the same negative connotation as it does in the West. For example, in the 1998 film ''Hitler'', the disciplinarian hero nicknamed Hitler is simply a person with staunch traditional values. There are at least three other Indian films entitled "Hitler", in all of which the Hitler character is the hero (Hitler (1996 film), ''Hitler'' (1996 film); Hitler (1997 film), ''Hitler'' (1997 film); ''Hitler Umanath''). ''Hitler Didi'' (My Sister Hitler) is a TV show about a character with a domineering elder sister. In Indian popular culture, Hitler is synonymous with rigidity, people often refer to their boss or a strict teacher as Hitler. Hitler is also used as a personal name in India, as in the case of the politician Adolf Lu Hitler Marak. The film ''Hero Hitler in Love'' is about a man called "Hitler" who tries to love everyone. Furthermore, the swastika has for centuries been a common symbol in India with positive connotations. According to ''The Indian Republic'', According to Navras Jaat Aafreedi, such references to Hitler are not usually linked to pro-Nazi sympathies, but some Hindu nationalist groups see Hitler's use of the swastika as a "great service to Hinduism" and link anti-Semitic ideology to anti-Islamism. The "Hitler" clothing store in Ahmedabad in Gujarat opened in mid-August 2012. The store immediately became embroiled in controversy over its name. The store's logo even had a swastika embedded in the Tittle, dot above the "i" in Hitler's name. The owner, Rajesh Shah, told media he did not expect all the commotion. He had chosen the name because the grandfather of his business partner was nicknamed "Hitler" because of his strict demeanor. He stated he did not intend to change the name unless somebody else paid the expenses. Among the groups that objected to the store's name was the small Jewish community in Ahmedabad. A diplomat at the Israeli embassy in New Delhi said that the embassy would protest in "the strongest terms possible" to the Indian government. The Israeli consul general in Mumbai asked state officials to ensure the store was renamed, but commented that she believes the use of the name most likely is a product of ignorance rather than antisemitism. Reports suggested that the shop owner had agreed to rename the store following an offer by a Jewish organization to pay the costs. In October 2012 the Ahmedabad Municipal authorities allegedly removed the store sign without proper procedure. It was later renamed ''Gladiator''. Cross Cafe in Mumbai was formerly Hitler's Cross cafe. The business sought to attract attention by using the Hitler theme, and was decorated with Nazi imagery. Actor Murli Sharma attended the opening party; when asked what he thought about the name, he said "I am not really agitated as I have not read much about the man. However, from what I know about Hitler, I find this name rather amusing." Alternative names suggested included Stalin Samosa Shop, Ayatollah Khomeini's Falafels, and Kim Jong's Juicy Juice.In India, a café named Hitler's Cross, Anand Giridharadas, August 24, 2006
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In Thailand

Hitler Fried Chicken was a fast-food restaurant in Thailand based on Yum! Brands Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant chain. The mascot of Hitler Fried Chicken is Adolf Hitler wearing a Colonel Sanders outfit. Adolf Hitler is considered 'chic' by many in Thailand.


See also

* Anti-American caricatures in Nazi Germany * Anophthalmus hitleri, a species of blind cave beetle found only in about fifteen humid caves in Slovenia


Notes


References

*''Faschismus in der populären Kultur'' [Fascism in popular culture] by Georg Seesslen Berlin : Edition Tiamat, 1994–1996. , OCLC: 80476144 *''The world Hitler never made : alternate history and the memory of Nazism'' by Gavriel David Rosenfeld. Cambridge ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2005. OCLC: 58052431 *''Hitler's imagery and German youth'' by Erik H Erikson; Berkeley, Calif. : Institute of Child Welfare, University of California, 1940-1950? OCLC: 26533155


Further reading

* Butter, Michael. ''The Epitome of Evil: Hitler in American Fiction, 1939-2002''. Palgrave Macmillan, April 28, 2009. , 9780230620803. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hitler In Popular Culture, Adolf Cultural depictions of Adolf Hitler, Internet memes Works about Adolf Hitler, Lists of music by theme, Hitler Politics in popular culture Celebrities in popular culture World War II in popular culture Nazism in popular culture Germany in popular culture