| Führer und Reichskanzler (“Leader and Reichchancellor”) Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945) and Schutzstaffel (SS) Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler (October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) in front of the old Reichskanzlei (“Reich Chancellery”) during the parade of the SS at Wilhelmstraße 77 on the occasion of Hitler’s 50th birthday on April 20, 1939. Hitler’s 50th birthday was celebrated as a national holiday throughout Nazi Germany. Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels (October 29, 1897 – May 1, 1945) made sure the events centered in Berlin, but celebrated at German clubs and embassies around Germany and the world, were a lavish spectacle focusing on Hitler himself. The festivities included a military parade with some 50,000 German troops, hundreds of tanks and vehicles, and 162 Luftwaffe airplanes flying overhead. The parade was intended in part as a warning to the Allied powers of Nazi Germany’s expanding military capabilities. The parade lasted for more than 4 hours, with 20,000 official guests, along with several 100,000 spectators. Goebbels declared, “The name of Herr Hitler is our political program. Imagination and realism are harmoniously combined in the Führer, and his political aims and achievements in Germany in the future need not cause concern if the Lord Almighty preserves his strength and health.” Himmler presented Hitler with a painting of his hero for his birthday, Frederick the Great (January 24, 1712 – August 17, 1786), monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0505.jpg |
| Image Size | 476.74 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 1655 x 2354 |
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| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | January 1, 1937 |
| Location | Alte Reichskanzlei |
| City | Berlin |
| State or Province | Berlin |
| Country | Germany |
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| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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