| Führer und Reichskanzler (“Leader and Reichchancellor”) Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945) with the Alte Kämpfer (Old Fighters) who survived the 1923 Bürgerbräu-Putsch (“Beer Hall Putsch”) attempt to overthrow the Weimar Government. Each year, in a national holiday known as “Tag des Korps der Alten Kämpfer” (“Day of the Old Fighters’ Corps”) Hitler and the Alte Kämpfer, who were among the 1st Nazis to join with him, would gather in the same Bürgerbräukeller (“Citizen’s Beer Cellar”) where they attempted to launch their coup d’etat in 1923. The route from the Bürgerbräukeller to the Odeonsplatz in front of the Feldherrnhalle was led by SS-Standartenführer Jakob Grimminger (April 25, 1892 – January 28, 1969) who was the standard-bearer with the Blutfahne (“Blood Flag”), stained with blood of the Nazis who died in the putsch. Stellvertreter des Führers (“Deputy Führer”) Rudolf Hess (April 26, 1894 – August 17, 1987) is left and Reich Minister General Hermann Göring (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) of the Luftwaffe (“Air Force”) is to the right. With the exception of Hess, Göring, and Der Stürmer publisher Julius Streicher (February 12, 1885 – October 16, 1946), the Alte Kämpfer were increasingly left out of Hitler’s government and thus out of influence, as Hitler wished to move from the appearance of a street thug to that of a refined international politician. But the annual commemoration of the 1923 putsch would continue until 1943; in 1944, Reichsführer-Schutzstaffel (SS) Heinrich Himmler (October 7, 1900 – May 23, 1945) gave the annual speech instead of Hitler. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0517.jpg |
| Image Size | 156.22 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 1300 x 914 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | Hermann Göring Collection |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | January 1, 1936 |
| Location | |
| City | Munich |
| State or Province | Bavaria |
| Country | Germany |
| Archive | Library of Congress |
| Record Number | LC-USZ62-16048 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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