Hitler painted, drew and sketched all his life.
He had a real talent for architectural details
and grandiose ideas about everything. His
tastes were exclusively neo-classical in sofar
as he exclusively admired Athens' and
especially Rome's cultural and architectural
achievements. Once Chancellor, he
embarked himself and a cohort of
slave-architects, under the aegis of Albert
Speer, into a colossal remodeling of "der
Grosse Reich", especially Berlin and his
home town of Linz. However the projects
concerning Berlin and the future
"Fuehrermuseum" in Linz were stopped by
the war but Hitler had scheduled them to be
completed by 1950.
Opera houses, official buildings and
stadiums were erected everywhere in nazi
Germany under the guidance of Hitler
Supreme Architect as soon as 1933. Der
Fuehrer supervised every details, devoting
endless hours to examine the projects
before giving his approbation, most of the
time modifying considerably the first draft of
his architects Speer, Giesler, Troots. These
men, like Speer and even the avant-gardist
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe who tried to
impose his talents to Hitler before to give up
and go into exile, were impressed by Hitler's
architectural knowledge and his ability to
describe the characteristics of the main
buildings of the world. In 1933, Mies van der
Rohe was so enthralled by Hitler's ideas that
he even published an open letter in a
German newspaper asking to grant full
powers to Hitler. Some weeks later his
wishes were granted beyond his wildest
expectations.
Even the Opera Garnier in Paris was among
the buildings Hitler knew the most secret
details and transformations. His
phenomenal memory always dumbfounded
his critics and his staff.
However his tastes were definitely anchored
in Classic times and in the XIXth century as
he thought that after 1911 Culture, Music and
Architecture failed to continue on their
previous achievements : it is amusing to note
that 1911 is the year of the first "Impressions"
by Kandinksy whom Hitler hated.
Below are some of the most revealing
sketches of Hitler, some from his sketchbook
made in 1925, some made after his access
to supreme power in 1933. It is worth
noticing for instance that the idea of the
famous VW was inspired to Ferdinand
Porsche by a sketch completed by Hitler in
the late 20s.
Hitler was certainly not an artistic genius,
but his artistic drive was as big as his ego
and his talent could have made of him a
good -although notably anti-avant-garde-
architect- if his father had encouraged his
ambitions. It would have certainly saved the
world of the worst human-caused disaster of
all times.
He had a real talent for architectural details
and grandiose ideas about everything. His
tastes were exclusively neo-classical in sofar
as he exclusively admired Athens' and
especially Rome's cultural and architectural
achievements. Once Chancellor, he
embarked himself and a cohort of
slave-architects, under the aegis of Albert
Speer, into a colossal remodeling of "der
Grosse Reich", especially Berlin and his
home town of Linz. However the projects
concerning Berlin and the future
"Fuehrermuseum" in Linz were stopped by
the war but Hitler had scheduled them to be
completed by 1950.
Opera houses, official buildings and
stadiums were erected everywhere in nazi
Germany under the guidance of Hitler
Supreme Architect as soon as 1933. Der
Fuehrer supervised every details, devoting
endless hours to examine the projects
before giving his approbation, most of the
time modifying considerably the first draft of
his architects Speer, Giesler, Troots. These
men, like Speer and even the avant-gardist
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe who tried to
impose his talents to Hitler before to give up
and go into exile, were impressed by Hitler's
architectural knowledge and his ability to
describe the characteristics of the main
buildings of the world. In 1933, Mies van der
Rohe was so enthralled by Hitler's ideas that
he even published an open letter in a
German newspaper asking to grant full
powers to Hitler. Some weeks later his
wishes were granted beyond his wildest
expectations.
Even the Opera Garnier in Paris was among
the buildings Hitler knew the most secret
details and transformations. His
phenomenal memory always dumbfounded
his critics and his staff.
However his tastes were definitely anchored
in Classic times and in the XIXth century as
he thought that after 1911 Culture, Music and
Architecture failed to continue on their
previous achievements : it is amusing to note
that 1911 is the year of the first "Impressions"
by Kandinksy whom Hitler hated.
Below are some of the most revealing
sketches of Hitler, some from his sketchbook
made in 1925, some made after his access
to supreme power in 1933. It is worth
noticing for instance that the idea of the
famous VW was inspired to Ferdinand
Porsche by a sketch completed by Hitler in
the late 20s.
Hitler was certainly not an artistic genius,
but his artistic drive was as big as his ego
and his talent could have made of him a
good -although notably anti-avant-garde-
architect- if his father had encouraged his
ambitions. It would have certainly saved the
world of the worst human-caused disaster of
all times.
HITLER'S SKETCHES
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