A Brief History
On August 22nd, 1902, Helene “Leni” Riefenstahl was born in Berlin, Germany. Thirty years later she would meet Adolf Hitler, the man who helped her become the greatest female filmmaker of the 20th century, but that association would nearly destroy her as well.
Digging Deeper
A talented teenager, Leni (pronounced “Lay-Nee”) was enrolled in dance and ballet classes. She gained a reputation on the Berlin dance circuit and became a popular entertainer. Injuries to her feet and knees, however, threatened the future of her dancing career, so she transitioned into acting. She went on to have a prolific run as an actress in silent films and was so highly regarded by the German public and directors that she just barely lost the role of Lola in the Blue Angel to Marlene Dietrich in 1930. It is interesting to ponder what might have been had Leni won the part of Lola, as this movie made Marlene an international star and launched her Hollywood career. During World War II, Marlene abandoned her country of birth and became one of the most outspoken supporters of America and its troops. Leni would do the exact opposite. In fact, she helped create the image of Germany and Naziism that Hilter wanted the world to see.
Shortly thereafter, Leni was given an opportunity to direct. She ended up co-writing, directing and starring in the 1932 production of Das Blaue Licht (The Blue Light), under the banner of her own, newly formed company, Leni Riefenstahl Productions. Though it was not universally well-received, the movie brought her attention, showcased her talents and looked very good on her resume, which came just in time for her “fortuitous” meeting.
During the making of Das Blaue Licht, Leni had read Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf. The book left such an impression on her that she became a follower of the National Socialist Party and came to believe strongly that Hitler could lead Germany. She then went to a rally to see Adolf Hitler in person as he was campaigning for the presidency and was also mesmerized by his talent as a public speaker. She ended up writing him, requesting a meeting. This meeting must have gone well because Hitler commissioned her to direct an hour-long propaganda film of the fifth Nazi Party Rally at Nuremberg in 1933. This film became known as Sieg des Glaubens (Victory of Faith). For the two of them, it became a “win-win” situation. Leni’s film would give Hitler and the Nazis the exposure they wanted, and in return, they would fund Leni’s movies and support and promote her otherwise. Not only that, but Hitler had so much faith and confidence in Leni, that she had to answer to no one but him. This arrangement would eventually anger Josef Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda, who could not control her – the only person in the entertainment industry where this was the case.
Impressed with the filming of the fifth Nazi Party Rally, Hitler commissioned her to film the sixth rally in 1934, also at Nuremberg. This chronicle named Triumph des Willen (Triumpf of the Will) by Hitler was enormously successful in Germany, left a tremendous impression in the world of filmmaking and became the quintessential epic and innovative propaganda film against which all others would be measured. Furthermore, it made Leni the first female director to achieve international recognition, and she was only 32. This accomplishment makes her what the Germans call a “Fräulein Wunder” which basically translates into “amazingly talented and successful young woman.” Nowadays it is often used to describe Heidi Klum. History and Headlines Note: The Triumpf of the Will may not be shown in Germany.
The filming of a third Nazi Rally at Nuremberg followed, completing the Nuremberg-trilogy.
Hitler then commissioned her to film the Olympic Games in Berlin 1936. This film became known as Olympia and was highly successful and influenced the art of filming sports. Leni was one of the first filmmakers to use tracking shots in which she placed a camera on rails to follow the athletes. She also included slow motion shots for dramatic effect. Her footage of African-American Jesse Owens would later become famous. As with her propaganda films, her art of filming sports events would become the standard.
During the Second World War, she made fewer movies in support of the Nazi Party. While in Poland as a war correspondent, she had witnessed 30 civilians being executed in retaliation for an alleged attack on German soldiers. She did go back to Poland, however, to film Hitler’s victory parade in Warsaw, but from then on chose not to make any more Nazi-related propaganda movies.
Instead Leni concentrated her efforts on filming Tiefland, an adaptation of Hitler’s favorite opera by Eugen d’Albert. It would be this film and less her propaganda movies that would come to haunt her following the war. The extras who played the Spanish women and farmers were Sinti and Roma who had been procured from concentration camps. After filming, they were returned to the concentration camps where they were promptly executed. Leni would always maintain that she did not know about the fate of the extras in her film and that she was in no way to blame for their treatment. Filming of the movie wrapped, but before it could be released, Hitler committed suicide in his bunker, and Germany surrendered to the Allies. Leni was taken into custody by American troops.
From 1945 to 1948, Leni was held in various American- and French-run detention camps, prisons and under house arrest and was tried four times for collaborating with the Nazis. She did the usual song and dance about how she was just an innocent and ignorant bystander, totally oblivious to the behind-the-scenes activities of the Nazi war machine and that all she had wanted to do as an artist was capture the moment. Still, many suspected that she had indeed known about the concentration camps. Despite the negative sentiment, she was never convicted, and she won more than 50 libel cases brought against her. She was guilty by association, however, and her punishment was to be that all of her efforts in the 1950s and 60s to continue filmmaking would be met with resistance, protests, sharp criticism and no funding.
In 1954, French filmmaker Jean Cocteau insisted that Tiefland be shown at the Cannes Film Festival. It would be the first public viewing of the film ten years after it had been completed. He supported Leni, but he died before their mutual projects could be realized.
Then in old age, Leni began pursuing photography and reinvented herself as a nature and aquatic photographer. She traveled extensively to Africa to take pictures of the wildlife and tribes. Active until very old age, at 100 she was still photographing marine life and had the distinction of being one of the world’s oldest scuba divers.
She died shortly after celebrating her 101st birthday.
Leni would later say that meeting Hitler was the biggest catastrophe of her life. Although she never argued that she had been in awe of his personality, she also said that that same admiration blinded her from recognizing his demonic side.
Question for students (and subscribers): Have you seen any of her films? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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For another interesting event that happened on August 22, please see the History and Headlines article: “Lopsided Victories.”
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Historical Evidence
For more information on Leni Riefenstahl or women of the Third Reich, the following books might be interesting:
RIEFENSTAHL, LENI. LENI RIEFENSTAHL. Picador, 1995.
Sigmund, Anna Maria. Women of the Third Reich. Nde Pub, 2000.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="4180 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=4180">100 Comments
It is nice that she was able to break away from Hitler and make a new life utilizing her interest in photography.
She definitely did not have a dull life. Some good came from her assisting Hitler though considering she is pretty much the reason sports became video taped.
It is quite unbelievable that a man will kill anyone no matter how close to him they were. I am overjoyed to hear that someone has escaped the wraith of Hitler. Even though he believed he was doing something right does not make it the right thing to do. So many people believed in Hitler and he was willing to kill them just for his own selfish success.
This is an interesting story! She definitely had talent and belong alongside Hitler for long periods of time to film must have been very scary!
It is remarkable she had Hitler’s entire trust. I don’t think many people could say that happened in their life.
To have gained Hitler’s attention to begin with is remarkable in itself. She had her life pretty much set after that.
I can’t even imagine what it would have been like to know that man. As hard as it is to believe that Leni knew nothing of what was happening behind the scenes, first hand accounts always say how oddly charismatic he was. It is scary to think about how much power and influence he had over people.
I would have never guessed that a woman had been such an important part of the Nazi propaganda footage
I wonder what her life would have been like had she have never connected with Hitler? Some of her talents seem to have been cut off because of her connections with him
If I were her I would have been afraid of what the Nazis would do if I decided to stop making films for them. It’s also quite scary how she (and millions of others) thought Hitler was super charming and charismatic.
I am glad that she was able to continue on with her life… after being associated with Hitler. — DAVID WARDLE
Interesting she was that associated with hitler.. Good thing she went on with her life
She didn’t get charged ? Come on now, we all know that she knew what was going on, no one could be that oblivious.
Pretty impressive life, even if she was associated with Hitler and the Nazi Party.
I’m not sure how anyone could be inspired from Hitler’s book.
That’s crazy that she got his trust just like that, she had no worries .
It is crazy how she had such a large impact on the Nazi Party in such a small way.
She seemed to be very successful. She had a goal and accomplished it; however, it was by means of the Hitler and the Nazi party. Very interesting.
Considering Hilter’s views it seems surprising that he would in trust this position to a woman
” her punishment was to be that all of her efforts in the 1950s and 60s to continue filmmaking would be met with resistance, protests, sharp criticism and no funding.”
Well, it certainly could have been worse.
I think it’s crazy that since Hitler was such a powerful and crucial dictator that he would gain trust from anyone so quickly, especially a woman.
It’s interesting that her films played a big role in building the view of the Nazi party that Hitler wanted.
She wanted so badly to make a name for herself in the film making industry, that she overlooked the darkness of the NAZI’s and Hitler. She wasn’t the only one to ever be hypnotized by Hitler’s charismatic leadership. It’s just unfortunate that it happened at all.
The extras came from the concentration camps but she had “no idea of their fates”, this is a little suspicious to me.
I find it interesting that Hitler enjoyed her work so much and found her so useful that only he controlled her and no one else.
I find her arguments of her innocence to be unstable and lacking in proof. How could a Hitler admirer be unaware of concentration camps? How could a reader of Mein Kampf be so ignorant to the evil that Hitler possessed and practiced? If you were a follower of the National Socialist Party, and witnessed 30 civilians being executed, you had to have some idea of the ugliness that you were supporting.
I’m strongly sure that Hitler had had full idea about how the camps treated people. And I’m sure it was planned from Hitler. In addition Hitler won’t admire about it.
This just proves that people will do anything to become famous. She ignored the Nazi’s actions and where her extras came from. It just proves how selfish people can be if they gain from it.
I think it is interesting how she was able to stop making Nazi propaganda for Hitler without anything bad happening to her. If Hitler was able to trust her enough to make his propaganda, I don’t think he would just let her stop because she wanted to.
I cant believe she was never convicted, and even won more than 50 libel cases brought against her.
This article shows the true side of her. Some people are greedy in all the wrong ways.
This was an interesting article, but I can’t believe she was never convicted for what she did.
The Nazis were terrible terrible people.
I think its amazing how she got away with all of the things she did
Be careful who you associate with you may live to regret it.
sad to see that even a women was a part of such thing
Leni was an opportunistic young woman who saw that Hitler could give her the fame she so badly wanted. But the demise of her film career is the least disturbing thing about WW2.
Maybe she would have been an American-sympathizer if she had received the role in Blue Angel.
After knowing history, it is crazy to think anyone believed in Hitler.
I find it hard to believe that she was never convicted of her crimes.
It’s truly amazing how Hitler helped lead her to being so successful and at the same time, she was persecuted for being a part of the Nazi party and put into those American and French interment camps. I wonder if she regrets working along side him at all.
It really sad to see the talent that was waisted because of Hitler.
I think she recognized Hitler was bad, but it did not matter as long as he was funding her films. Without his help especially during war times, it would have been difficult for someone else to fund her.
I believe that this was more than a case of guilt by association. Leni was willing to succeed at any cost.
What surprised me the most is that most of her extras in her films were straight out of concentration camps. I wonder if she actually did not know their fates.
I wonder if Leni did this to be on Hitler’s good side or for her career? I also did not know that Hitler was a good public speaker until I read this article.
Leni was a very creative woman. I am impressed at all of the different arts that she successfully expressed and got recognized for. It does make you wonder why she did all of this about Hitler even though she was well aware that he was a bad person.
I think Leni did the films to get on Hitler’s good side and and for her career. I don’t think she realized what kind of man he was at first. She was probably in too deep to change her mind about the films with Hitler or she just did not care. Either way, I have never heard of this story and I found it interesting.
Knowing Hitler and being on his good side was only beneficial to her career while he was in power. I think she would have had to known what was going on behind the scenes with all the work she was doing filming the Nazi party for Hitler. I think she should have been charged with something because she did nothing to stop Hitler when she was a close confidant with him.
Makes me wonder if Leni would have still been a success without knowing Hitler. She had to of known some of the terrible things he was doing which made her guilty by association, not sure I agree with her not being prosecuted like others who were in the same boat as Leni.
Leni seemed to care much more about his career and his success.
As I was reading I was wondering what in our country today would compare to this scenario, but then I read an interesting comparison. Then I found it extremely funny that the words “Fräulein Wunder” were used to describe the “Nazi-Propaganda Queen,” Leni Riefenstahl, and were also used to describe Heidi Klum.
It’s hard to believe that Leni had no idea about what was happening to the extras from the camps because she supported Hitler and his ideas, but then again, she was so into becoming famous that she may have been blindsided.
One thing that really stood out to me is that Leni really did not truly start following Hitler until she read his book, Mein Kampf. This really shows that the writings of one man can turn the opinions of a person.
It is interesting that this teen’s same nickname was used to describe Heidi Klum more recently!
I remember hearing about her in the movie Race that covered the Olympics in Germany. She seemed to have been a serious advocate of Hitler and the Nazi Party.
I wonder how many people were influenced directly through Nazi propaganda, and the work that Leni did for Hitler and the Nazi’s. Under different circumstances we may be praising Leni for her talents instead of looking at her the way we do now.
Leni doesn’t come as a shock to me. propaganda in the 1930s were an art form that promoted nationality.
It seems to me that Leni cared a lot about his career and not a lot for others.
Leni had talent and abilities at the field of the film industry. She worked for Nazi and she was successful at that time. For this point, I do not like her. People should not work for Nazi for any reasons.
She was a great movie maker, but it seems she cared more about her business but not other people
Leni working for hitler was disgusting and I know she wanted to boost her fame, but how could she support such a man?
I think this article shows that Leni supports the psychological egoism claim. All of her actions were to make her more famous and more successful supporting the claim.
This article shows that Leni supports the claim of psychological egoism. Her actions make her a lot more famous and successful for supporting the claim, even if it meant working for Hitler.
Leni only cared about furthering her career despite the costs.
There is no way you work that closely with Adolf Hitler and not know what he was doing to not only his country, but others as well. It is crazy what people are willing to do for their five minutes of fame.
I believe she covered the footage in the movie Race.
what a mistake she made, but i guess she was just as brainwashed as alot of the Nazi party supporters.
I believe that Leni knew Hitler’s intentions. I do not believe she truly thought that meeting Hitler was a catastrophe.
Hitler was a very powerful person that had a strong following and was influential on many lives with the Nazi party before the start of WWII and the capturing of Jews and other peoples.
It amazes me that Leni was active taking photos up until she was 100 years old. She did what she loved, and died shortly after turning 101
Leni is a great example of how the people were blinded and cloud not see the evil that he was creating.
I thought that it was very interesting that Adolf Hitler made her such a big name, but her association with him could have certainly destroyed her credentials.
Wow, can’t believe someone would work so closely with Hitler. Especially considering her profession.
I agree why would you want to work with someone like Hitler.
Not all that surprised by this story, Hitler was an amazing speaker and had a huge personality. He was a nut, but a nut that made people flock to him.
My daughter used to dance so I know what it would be like to have to give up something you love. I can’t believe she let Hitler get her a bunch of acting jobs. I couldn’t let someone like that help me.
Its crazy that you work with someone tlike that but dont know whats going on.
Hard to feel sorry for someone who followed Hitler and bought into his crazy ideology and hatred of so many groups of people.
I find it hard to believe that Leni had no idea of Hitler’s agendas.
I don’t think it is possible for someone to work that closely with someone and not know the agenda of someone.
At first I thought it would not be possible that Leni wouldn’t know about Hitler’s agenda, but after reading more about Hitler, anything is possible.
The story of these propaganda films reminds me of the films that the church of Scientology uses to recruit its members today.
This is a very interesting article. In all things history, I like to learn about WWII the most. It intrigues me that some people will say that this event never happened. Like Leni claims, she didn’t realize what was happening. For someone to have a sit down meeting with Hitler himself and have him be in control of what you filmed, I think she knew more than what she led on.
This was very interesting article, but I was kind of surprised that Hitler would let her stop making films for him because she did not want too. Leni and Hitler must have been pretty close for her to answer just to him.
The excuse of ignorance should not have been tolerated in her case. She contributed to the cause and should have been punished.
I find it very hard to believe that Leni knew nothing about Hitler’s agenda when they worked so close to each other.
If hitler was giving her that much freedom to pick and choose what she wanted to do it is hard to believe she wasn’t involved deeper
This would be crazy to have to film things that Hitler and the Nazis were participating in. It is to be noted her character is in the movie Race where she films the Olympics.
It was interesting to see how exciting and motivated she was when she first met with Hitler and then in her later years back tracked on how she felt. Couldn’t see her being any other way since times have changed. It would have made her look real bad.
Wow, this lady sounds like she had an exciting life. However, being associated with one of the most evil men on the face of the earth did not do her career any favors. Living all of the way to 101 years old is one hell of an accomplishment.
What amazing accomplishments for a women especially in the 1940’s. One thing that I always questioned is how Hitler discriminated against looks and religion, but not against sex. He gave Leni the power to do whatever she wanted not even having to answer to Josef Goebbels himself. I do think she had some idea of what was going on in Nazi Germany, but like so many other German citizens chose to ignore it. Either way she was a very talented women and it is sad how her work was defined by Nazi Germany to the point were her talent was ignored in the 50’s and 60’s. With so many amazing inventions such as tracking shots and so many amazing acomplishments I wish she would be recognized more for her work and not who she worked for in the begining.
I am not able to comprehend how Leni claims that she was basically blinded by Hitler’s charisma. She helped support one of the most evil people who have ever lived. The whole situation with the 2 people from the concentration camp was just horrible. For them to go through all they did and she used them as extras in her movie, knowing that they were Jews from the camps. She said she did not know that they went back and were killed, but did she care to ensure they were not going back or care they were safe? She seems like she was only interested in doing things that made her happy and not caring about the well being of others.
Leni was another person seeking fame and used the only avenue she had at the time. Adolf Hitler was the one person she had a connection with and also had power. Unfortunately, her propaganda convinced a lot of people to conduct unspeakable acts.
I truly believe that Leni’s connection with Hitler just made the situation during World War II just that much worse. Her films made Hitler look like a much better person than he really was. Almost like a hero. I have never been that much of a Hitler fan.
I find it interesting that that Leni tried to blame Hitler for I don’t know “tricking” her into helping and supporting him. I think it was really that she was out for herself and to gain fame and popularity.
Leni was no different than anyone else. When Leni was doing great, making films, and gaining popularity then Hitler was the best. Then when Leni lost all of that he too was to blame for her troubles. When making a choice to be friends with someone or work with a particular place your should be ready for any and all consequences no matter if they are good or bad. Because ultimately you make your own decisions and you are the one that has to live with the consequences.
I do not know how much of an innocent bystander Leni was, how can you not be aware of your surrounds unless if you agreed with them. With that being said, she was doing what she did best and what drove her to make money and that was create films.
What a shock. Another person feigning knowledge of what another person was doing. How in the world she could stand back and proclaim that she had no knowledge of what exploits Hitler was up to, is beyond me.
Propaganda was one of the most powerful weapons at Nazi Germany’s disposal. She has just as much blood on her hands at those who pulled the triggers. Ideas are more powerful than guns.
I believe that Leni knew about Hitlers agenda, there is no way that he did not know what was going on he probably agreed with the whole agenda. Knowing that she had that much freedom to do whatever she wanted she had to have a deeper involvement.