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Operation Barbarossa in Rare Pictures, 1941

Operation Barbarossa (Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the German codename for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II, which commenced on June 22, 1941. It was to be the turning point for the fortunes of Adolf Hitler's Third Reich, i…

Women at War Seen Through Rare Photographs, 1939-1945

The Second World War changed the United States for women, and women in turn transformed their nation. Over three hundred fifty thousand women volunteered for military service, while twenty times as many stepped into civilian jobs, including positions pr…

The Amazing Story of Finland in World War II Through Rare Photographs From 1939-1945

For most of Finland's history, the country had lived on the periphery of world events, but for a few weeks during the winter of 1939-40, Finland stood at the center of the world stage. Finland's stand against Soviet aggression aroused the world's admira…

The North African Campaign in Historical Pictures From 1940-1943

Fighting in North Africa stemmed from the area’s strategic importance to the Commonwealth. Egypt’s Suez Canal, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, was a vital transport artery. Oil in particular had become a critical strategic commodity due…

German Invasion of Western Europe and the Fall of France Through Rare Pictures From 1940

In the spring of 1940, an emboldened Germany asserted itself as a modern conqueror of nations, successfully invading and occupying six countries in fewer than 100 days. On April 9, 1940, Germany invaded Denmark, which capitulated in a mere six hours. At…

Herbert List’s Pictures From the German-Occupied Ukraine, 1943

Herbert List was a German photographer, who worked for magazines, including Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Life, and was associated with Magnum Photos. He traveled regularly between Greece, Italy, and Paris until the outbreak of World War II, when he settl…

Rare Photographs of the Reichstag Fire Incident in 1933

The Reichstag fire came amid “a campaign of unparalleled violence and bitterness” by then-Chancellor Adolf Hitler, in advance of an approaching German election, and it turned a building that was “as famous through Germany as is the dome of the Capitol in W…

A Nazi DJ Spins Records at a Radio Exhibition in Berlin: A Bizarre Photo from 1932

The Nazi booth at a radio exhibition which started in Berlin on August 19, 1932. The booth was designed as propaganda of the Nazi gramophone plate industry which produced only records of the national socialist movement. Propaganda was an essential tool …

Nazi Rally in Buenos Aires Through Rare Photographs, 1938

Before the war Argentina hosted a strong, very-well-organized pro-Nazi element that was controlled by the German ambassador. In the spring of 1938, some 20,000 Nazi supporters attended a "Day of Unity" rally held at the Luna Park stadium in Buenos Aires…

Deputy Mayor Ernst Kurt Lisso and His Family after Committing Suicide by Cyanide to Avoid Capture by US Troops, 1945

As the Red Army and the Western Allies pressed closer and closer to Berlin suicides grew. Thousands of Germans committed suicide in the spring of 1945, rather than face occupation and the expected abuse by their victors. 3,881 people were recorded as co…

Rare Color Photos from Pre-War Nazi Germany, 1933-1939

The photos on display here are taken by Hugo Jager, a former personal photographer of Adolf Hitler. He traveled with Hitler in the years leading up to power and throughout World War II. He was one of the few photographers who were using color photograph…

August Landmesser: The Lone Man Refusing to Do the Nazi Salute, 1936

The photo was taken at the launch of a German army vessel in 1936, during a ceremony that was attended by Adolf Hitler himself. Within the picture, a lone man stood with arms crossed as hundreds of men and women around him held up their arms in salute a…

American Nazi Party Leader George Lincoln Rockwell Confronting Martin Luther King Jr., 1965

George Lincoln Rockwell, head of the American Nazi Party, confronts Dr. Martin Luther King, the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, in front of Dallas County, Selma, Alabama. Both Rockwell and King agree to hold a debate later that evening. Rockwell was&nbsp…

American Nazi Organization Rally at Madison Square Garden, 1939

Supposedly 22,000 Nazi supporters attended a German American Bund rally at New York's Madison Square Garden in February 1939, under police guard. Demonstrators protested outside. Aside from its admiration for Adolf Hitler and the achievements of Nazi Ge…

Reichserntedankfest Rally: Thanksgiving Celebration of the Reich, 1934

This is the Reichserntedankfest of 1934 in Buckeberg. That year, 700,000 people participated. Even those who did not support Nazis were totally blown away and emotionally shaken. They had never experienced anything even remotely like this, there were no…

German SS Troops Relaxing at The 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin

These troops are members of Leibstandarte SS “Adolf Hitler”, at this time the regiment acted as Hitler’s personal bodyguard and guard of honor in public ceremonies. Later it would grow to form the Elite 1st SS Division LAH. They were assigned the task o…

Jesse Owens Wins Gold in Nazi Germany in 1936: Photos and Story

In 1936 Jesse Owens arrived in Berlin to compete for the United States in the Summer Olympics. Adolf Hitler was using the games to show the world a resurgent Nazi Germany. Nazi propaganda promoted concepts of "Aryan racial superiority" and depicted ethn…

The Cathedral of Light of the Nazi Rallies in Rare Pictures, 1937

The Cathedral of Light was a main aesthetic feature of the Nazi Party rallies in Nuremberg starting in 1933. It consisted of 130 anti-aircraft searchlights, at intervals of 12 meters, aimed skyward to create a series of vertical bars surrounding the audien…

Henry Ford Receiving the Grand Cross of the German Eagle from Nazi Officials, 1938

At a ceremony in Dearborn, Michigan, Henry Ford is presented with the Grand Cross of the Supreme Order of the German Eagle on his 75th birthday. Henry Ford was the first American recipient of this order, an honor created in 1937 by Adolf Hitler. This wa…