Der Berghof Photo Card Album

**Rossi** · 04-23-2018, 04:11 AM

Hello,

Curious if you have seen this album in your collecting travels & would like your opinions. I have been looking at picking this up from a respected fellow collector out east. We have been sharing calls and emails discussing this piece. The book measures 9-3/4 x 6-3/4. This album was only given to visitors such as dignitaries or VIPs who were guests of Hitler at Berchtesgaden, Der Berghof. I have only ever seen very few copies up for sale over the years & believe there only to be few copies of it still out there. A rarer find.

The album contains 12 postcard size full color photographs, each protected by a tissue / parchment paper. The cards are numbered, descriptive & marked on back Verlag Heinrich Hoffmann (publisher) with Vitacolor a period postcard. See pictures below of back of cards as well. It is complete with each of the 12 cards inside that shows a different room inside the house. I have spoken to a couple literature collectors who help me authenticate things from time to time but thought I would post to my peers here as well on WRF.

I have seen this book sold once before like the one I am showing pictures of: original full color Berghof book / album

Here are another couple links showing another copy of book with the burgundy adler and more details: Souvenirs of war – Souvenirs of war - GI stories, Hitler silverware and souvenirs from the Eagle's Nest and Berghof and here Der Berghof Photo Card Album

You will also see a reproduction of this here at this link which does talk of it being a reissue: Access Denied and here Der Berghof in Farbe by unknown (2011) Hardcover: Amazon.com: Books

Here are pictures of the book:

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 04-23-2018 04:11 AM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**hucks216** · 04-23-2018, 09:41 AM

I don't collect things like this so I can not help with authentication but how would you be able to tell an original from a fake?
If these were given out to visitors then I would imagine that a lot were made (but again, my knowledge of these is minimal to non-existant) although I dare say that a lot could of ended up as souvenirs of Allied troops and why you have been able to find some from Veterans.

**Rossi** · 04-23-2018, 10:53 AM

by hucks216

I don't collect things like this so I can not help with authentication but how would you be able to tell an original from a fake?
If these were given out to visitors then I would imagine that a lot were made (but again, my knowledge of these is minimal to non-existant) although I dare say that a lot could of ended up as souvenirs of Allied troops and why you have been able to find some from Veterans.

thanks Hucks216. There are modern day reissues of the album in links above. A couple styles of these were made from what I can tell during the WWII Era. Believe the one I am showing and the others in links above were period originals based on my research.

Rossi

**ZGS Collector** · 04-23-2018, 07:08 PM

First time i see one of those in my 25 years of collecting.
The postcards did exist during the third reich if they also made a compilation in an album i do not know.

A souvenir for the G.I.'s seems more likely to me until someone can proof it was made before the end of the war.
However it stil is a nice piece of history.

**Rossi** · 04-23-2018, 07:21 PM

by ZGS Collector

First time i see one of those in my 25 years of collecting.
The postcards did exist during the third reich if they also made a compilation in an album i do not know.

A souvenir for the G.I.'s seems more likely to me until someone can proof it was made before the end of the war.
However it stil is a nice piece of history.

Thanks for weighing in. I have seen them only about 4 times in the past 30 years myself. I have talked to a few book and literature experts and they claim this is a period original I show above. They have done re-issues of this album with body copy & larger photos so that gives some weight to the fact they likely existed. There are just some things that are leap of faith and we will never know. It would be nice of course to see one in a guest room at the berghof.

This was one I came across years ago and took me some time to find pictures and the story behind it. Again. It is all in what we believe or can prove

. It is all about burden of proof and what someone is willing to entertain. I believe likely the staff at Berghof could have given these as a memento of their visit. Hitler was very proud of his little mountain retreat. Just my humble opinion.

Details on photos below:

DER BERGHOF POSTCARD ALBUM, HAND-INSCRIBED BY ARTHUR KANNENBERG. These 'Der Berghof' postcard albums were given to visiting VIPs & Guests to the Berghof. Each of the 12 pages contains a color postcard showing a different room of the building.

This particular album was given to architect Max Kaess during his visit to the Berghof in August 1938. What makes this example extra special is that it's hand-inscribed to Herr Kaess by Hitler's butler and Berghof house manager, Arthur Kannenberg and his wife, Freda.

The grouping also includes Kaess' invite to the opening of the House of German Art on July 18 1937, and another invite to see work in progress of the buildings on the Königsplatz, on November 3 1935. The photograph of Hitler and Martin Bormann was taken by Kaess during his stay at the Berghof.

**BlackCat1982** · 04-23-2018, 07:32 PM

Interesting item. As said all the pictures are identical to the known postcards produced before the war. Is it possible to tell if there is any printing data on the reverse of the pictures? I don't think this item is a fake, but I would personally want to be sure the images were not repros.

Thanks for showing Rossi.

**Rossi** · 04-23-2018, 08:11 PM

by BlackCat1982

Interesting item. As said all the pictures are identical to the known postcards produced before the war. Is it possible to tell if there is any printing data on the reverse of the pictures? I don't think this item is a fake, but I would personally want to be sure the images were not repros.

Thanks for showing Rossi.

Hello,

Thanks for weighing in. Yes. I did put images of back of cards in initial thread later last night and they are here below as well. Publisher in the 1930's was Heinrich Hoffmann. I will post more pictures later this week when I get album.

Below as well are also some pictures of Hoffmann (wearing glasses) at Hitler's Bday Party in April of 1944 who also was a big part of Hitler's art obsession. Photos were taken in Berghof Dining room.