When it comes to Adolf Hitler, one of the most persistent and persistent misconceptions that come to mind is that he had blonde hair and blue eyes. However, the true story of Hitler’s appearance is much more complex than this. Adolf Hitler did not have either blonde hair or blue eyes, and in fact, if he had been alive today, he would have been classified as “brown”.
Historians studying Hitler’s life and works believe that there are a number of factors that have caused this false belief over the decades. Firstly, a considerable amount of photographs and propaganda portrayed Hitler as having light hair and eyes when, in reality, he was far from it. Historian and author, Sarah Knott agreed that, “Hitler was managing his image, his Hitler as the Aryan ideal fit within both a nationalist narrative and visual culture.”
Furthermore, a common practice for photographers of the time was to lighten images and whiten teeth, which exaggerated features like hair and eye colour. This was an intentional decision and meant to portray Hitler as a chiselled, Aryan symbol and reaffirm Nazi beliefs before the start of World War II and after. In fact, the shade of Hitler’s hair was deemed so important, that during World War II, an entire department of the SS was dedicated to altering German press coverage of him to make him look “Aryan”.
On top of this, Hitler’s drawings and paintings were often made to look like a “god-like figure” who was untouchable and unbreakable – the common belief was the brighter his eyes and hair, the more ‘divine’ he looked. Contemporary illustrations of Hitler also support this theory, as he was often depicted with blonde hair and blue eyes, even though there are few to no pictures that back this up.
Another factor in generating this myth is that Hitler’s own words were used against him. His infamous book, Mein Kampf (My Struggle) contained the lines ‘I am of fair complexion and possess a completely Nordic body’ and ‘Nature had not been generous with thick locks of blond hair’, as well as ‘For I have, thank God, blond hair and blue eyes’. Even though these weren’t Hitler’s real words, but instead quotes from one of his idols, the ‘poet’ Dietrich Eckart, they were often taken out of context and applied to Hitler, which certainly didn’t help portray the truth.
Ultimately, though, when breaking down all of the facts and evidence, it’s clear that Hitler did not have blonde hair or blue eyes. His physical characteristics would have been classified as brown; dark brown eyes, dark brown hair and dark brown skin, possibly with a slight olive tinge. The myth of Hitler’s blonde hair and blue eyes has been debunked, although the topic continues to fascinate many who are interested in the Nazi leader and his Aryan ideology.
The Influence of Nazi Propaganda
The Nazi Party dominated Nazi Germany using propaganda to control the population and their beliefs surrounding the idealized Aryan race. Nazi propaganda heavily featured symbols of light-haired, blue-eyed people, which were misrepresented as the supposed ‘perfect’ Germans. The propaganda displayes these characteristics in order to promote a sense of ‘Germanness’, and to further the aims of the Nazi party by creating an ‘idealised’ image.
Weight was put into the Nazi Party’s suggestion of a perfect German as the Nazis used photos and images to propagate their vision of a master race. Hitler himself was seen as an idealised blue-eyed, blond-haired icon for a radical nationalism that fuelled German expansionism, racial purity and pride in the country.
As a result, over the years Hitler has been identified as the epitome of the Aryan ideal, which has led to the spread of a misconstrued notion that Hitler was blue-eyed and blond-haired.This could be seen as a part of a attempt to popularize the idea that all Germans should look like idealised blue-eyed, blond-haired Nazis in order to be seen as belonging in Nazi Germany. Adding to this, even the image of Adolf Hitler that appears on many textbooks and historical sites have been edited to make him look more ‘Aryan’, by lightening his hair, which further reinforces the misconception of his true appearance.
Adolf Hitler’s Views of the Blue-Eyed and Blonde-Haired Aryan
Adolf Hitler’s views on the ‘perfect’ German individual were heavily based upon the perceived superiority of the ‘Aryan’ race. To him, the Aryan race was defined by a combination of two characteristics: the ‘Nordic type’ features of a light-colored complexion, blond hair and blue eyes; and ‘Germanic’ characteristics, such as German language, culture, and history. This idea of superiority was rooted in 19th century New Imperialism and Social Darwinism, where it was believed that ‘Aryans’ held a racial and intellectual superiority to other human races, a belief which suited Hitler’s ideology for Germany.
Therefore, the Nazi party pushed for the propagation of the Aryans, which extended from the speeches of Hitler to the images of the propaganda. Nazi Germany was deadly serious about promoting the idea of a ‘pure race’. This, in part, explains why this misconception about the colour of Hitler’s hair and eyes has been, and continues to be, perpetuated in the minds of people.
The Effects of the Myth
Whilst the myth of Hitler’s hair and eye colour is widely believed and is easily accessible, it is important to remember that this false belief was deliberately propagated by the Nazi party as a tool to evoke fear, exemplify power and influence the population.
The effects of this can still be seen today. For example, members of the far-right and neo-Nazi groups in the US drastically outnumber white supremacists and anti-government groups. This is due to the idea of the Aryan being perpetuated in people’s minds and has a lot to do with the fascist narrative that Adolf Hitler promoted. Through the blurring of the real facts and actively promoting a false narrative, Hitler and the Nazi’s were able to gain support of the German people.
Therefore, this false narrative of Hitler’s physical appearance has had an active and powerful influence on the world we live in today. It was used to strengthen Nazi ideologies and continues to be used in modern politics and conversations as a way to further nationalist movements.
Hitler’s Legacy
Adolf Hitler’s legacy still looms large over the world. His fascist beliefs have not been lost and can still be seen in many forms of contemporary politics and culture. Throughout the years, conceptions of Hitler’s blonde hair and blue eyes have been reinforced by media, books and films, which, in turn, has contributed to the longevity of this falsehood.
Hitler’s physical appearance was seen as a tool for spreading the ideals of the Aryan race and was, therefore, consistently exaggerated as ‘perfect’ and ‘god-like’. It is a testament to Hitler’s power and influence that this falsehood has lasted so long, and it is important to ensure that it is corrected in the future. By actively understanding the facts and recognising the influence of the false narrative, it is possible to diassociate the falsehood from the truth and create a more accurate image of Hitler and the Nazi histories.
The Relevance to Modern Times
Adolf Hitler’s influence over the interpretation of current events still exists. It is no secret that the Nazi regime and its understanding of racial superiority is still deeply rooted in parts of our societies today. From language to visuals, echoes of Nazi propaganda still linger in our cultures, which is why it is so relevant to question what is true and what is false. It is evident that the false narrative of Hitler had a powerful effect on people’s beliefs, and can still have a major impact on today’s society.
Therefore, it is essential to correct false beliefs about Hitler, as well as to challenge why we embrace certain myths in our culture. It is impossible to change history, but by recognising and debunking myths such as the one surrounding Hitler’s hair and eye colour, we can learn from the past and continue to develop and refine our understanding of the world we live in.
