Synopses & Reviews
Adolf Hitlerandrsquo;s makeover from rabble-rouser to statesman coincided with a series of dramatic home renovations he undertook during the mid-1930s. This provocative book exposes the dictatorandrsquo;s preoccupation with his private persona, which was shaped by the aesthetic and ideological management of his domestic architecture. Hitlerandrsquo;s bachelor life stirred rumors, and the Nazi regime relied on the dictatorandrsquo;s three dwellingsandmdash;the Old Chancellery in Berlin, his apartment in Munich, and the Berghof, his mountain home on the Obersalzbergandmdash;to foster the myth of the Fanduuml;hrer as a morally upstanding and refined man. Author Despina Stratigakos also reveals the previously untold story of Hitlerandrsquo;s interior designer, Gerdy Troost, through newly discovered archival sources.
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At the height of the Third Reich, media outlets around the world showcased Hitlerandrsquo;s homes to audiences eager for behind-the-scenes stories. After the war, fascination with Hitlerandrsquo;s domestic life continued as soldiers and journalists searched his dwellings for insights into his psychology. The bookandrsquo;s rich illustrations, many previously unpublished, offer readers a rare glimpse into the decisions involved in the making of Hitlerandrsquo;s homes and into the sheer power of the propaganda that influenced how the world saw him.
Review
andquot;In a book of rich detail, Stratigakos lays out the complex and multilayered significance of the three main residences that Adolf Hitler once called home. She shows how their designs shed new light on the instrumental use of culture by the regime, and how sensationalized meanings were projected onto the structures from abroad both during and after the Nazi period.andquot;andmdash;Paul B. Jaskot, DePaul University; Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art
Review
andquot;Stratigakosandrsquo;s highly original study brings to light the previously overlooked subject of Hitlerandrsquo;s domestic image. Although Hitlerandrsquo;s homes were not part of the Third Reichandrsquo;s grandiose plans for public architecture, these ostensibly private spaces were deeply ideological. Stratigakos convincingly argues that the production of Hitlerandrsquo;s domesticity was among the regimeandrsquo;s most successful propaganda campaigns, serving to transform Germanyandrsquo;s leader from odd bachelor to civilized statesman.andquot;andmdash;Karen Fiss, California College of the Arts
Review
andquot;Stratigakos convincingly argues that the production of Hitlerandrsquo;s domesticity was among the regimeandrsquo;s most successful propaganda campaigns, serving to transform Germanyandrsquo;s leader from odd bachelor to civilized statesman.andquot;andmdash;Karen Fiss, California College of the Arts
Review
andldquo;. . . A page-turner. Readers with an interest in Hitlerandrsquo;s personal life and in the effects of propaganda on international public sentiment will find this book fascinating.andrdquo;andmdash;Felicia J. Williamson, Library Journal
Synopsis
A revelatory look at the residences of Adolf Hitler, illuminating their powerful role in constructing and promoting the dictatorandrsquo;s private persona both within Germany and abroad
Synopsis
A revelatory look at the residences of Adolf Hitler, illuminating their powerful role in constructing and promoting the dictator s private persona both within Germany and abroad
Adolf Hitler s makeover from rabble-rouser to statesman coincided with a series of dramatic home renovations he undertook during the mid-1930s. This provocative book exposes the dictator s preoccupation with his private persona, which was shaped by the aesthetic and ideological management of his domestic architecture. Hitler s bachelor life stirred rumors, and the Nazi regime relied on the dictator s three dwellings the Old Chancellery in Berlin, his apartment in Munich, and the Berghof, his mountain home on the Obersalzberg to foster the myth of the Fuhrer as a morally upstanding and refined man. Author Despina Stratigakos also reveals the previously untold story of Hitler s interior designer, Gerdy Troost, through newly discovered archival sources.
At the height of the Third Reich, media outlets around the world showcased Hitler s homes to audiences eager for behind-the-scenes stories. After the war, fascination with Hitler s domestic life continued as soldiers and journalists searched his dwellings for insights into his psychology. The book s rich illustrations, many previously unpublished, offer readers a rare glimpse into the decisions involved in the making of Hitler s homes and into the sheer power of the propaganda that influenced how the world saw him."
About the Author
Despina Stratigakos is associate professor of architecture and director of the Gender Institute at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York.