Hitler: The Lost Tapes - Season 1, Episode 01: The Struggle

This intriguing new series explores the public and private personas of Germany’s tyrannical dictator, seen through the eyes of two photographers who dedicated their lives to documenting his. Officially the task was Heinrich Hoffmann’s, but it’s arguably images taken by his assistant Eva Braun – who became Hitler’s partner and, briefly, his wife – that capture the Nazi leader most candidly. The “lost tapes” in question are 1,300 rarely seen photos taken by Hoffman, and several hours of home-movie footage Braun shot at Hitler’s fortified chalet in the Bavarian Alps. The latter were rediscovered by Lutz Becker, one of several historical experts called upon to scrutinise the material – asking what their message was then, and what they can tell us today.