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| Remarkable tale of Hitler's young Jewish friend | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| At first glance, the picture of the man hugging the beaming young girl appears to show a scene of great happiness. | |
| But a closer look reveals a far darker tale: this is Adolf Hitler, the man behind the murder of six million Jews, and the little girl is Jewish. | But a closer look reveals a far darker tale: this is Adolf Hitler, the man behind the murder of six million Jews, and the little girl is Jewish. |
| Despite this, Hitler would go on to build a friendship with Rosa Bernile Nienau, which only ended when top Nazi officials intervened five years later. | Despite this, Hitler would go on to build a friendship with Rosa Bernile Nienau, which only ended when top Nazi officials intervened five years later. |
| And now this rare, signed image from 1933 is going up for auction in the US. | And now this rare, signed image from 1933 is going up for auction in the US. |
| Alexander Historical Auctions, in Maryland, estimates the picture, taken by photographer Heinrich Hoffmann, could fetch as much as $10,000 (£7,500) when it goes on sale on Tuesday. | Alexander Historical Auctions, in Maryland, estimates the picture, taken by photographer Heinrich Hoffmann, could fetch as much as $10,000 (£7,500) when it goes on sale on Tuesday. |
| "The signed version is a never-before publicly seen piece," auctioneer Bill Panagopulos told MailOnline. | "The signed version is a never-before publicly seen piece," auctioneer Bill Panagopulos told MailOnline. |
| "Hitler was very often photographed with children for propaganda purposes. The shocking thing about this piece is it seems he had a genuine affinity for the young girl. | "Hitler was very often photographed with children for propaganda purposes. The shocking thing about this piece is it seems he had a genuine affinity for the young girl. |
| "I was simply stunned." | "I was simply stunned." |
| 'Hitler's sweetheart' | 'Hitler's sweetheart' |
| It was a shared birthday which brought a little girl and the Nazi leader together. | It was a shared birthday which brought a little girl and the Nazi leader together. |
| According to the auction website, Rosa and her mother had joined the crowds outside Hitler's Alpine retreat Berghof in 1933 on his birthday. | |
| It is thought that when he discovered Rosa had the same birthday, he invited Rosa and her mother Karoline up to the house - where these photographs were taken. | It is thought that when he discovered Rosa had the same birthday, he invited Rosa and her mother Karoline up to the house - where these photographs were taken. |
| Not long afterwards, it was discovered that Karoline's mother had been Jewish, making Rosa Jewish in the eyes of the Nazi state. | Not long afterwards, it was discovered that Karoline's mother had been Jewish, making Rosa Jewish in the eyes of the Nazi state. |
| But this did not dissuade Hitler from carrying on his friendship with girl, who he had sent a signed copy of the photograph. | But this did not dissuade Hitler from carrying on his friendship with girl, who he had sent a signed copy of the photograph. |
| "The dear and [considerate?] Rosa Nienau Adolf Hitler Munich, the 16th June 1933," he wrote. | "The dear and [considerate?] Rosa Nienau Adolf Hitler Munich, the 16th June 1933," he wrote. |
| Rosa, it appears, later added her own stamp to the photo, drawing flowers onto the black-and-white image. | Rosa, it appears, later added her own stamp to the photo, drawing flowers onto the black-and-white image. |
| She would write to Hitler and his aide Wilhelm Bruckner on at least 17 occasions between 1935 and 1938, until she and her mother, a widow, were told to cut off contact by the Nazi leader's private secretary, Martin Bormann. | She would write to Hitler and his aide Wilhelm Bruckner on at least 17 occasions between 1935 and 1938, until she and her mother, a widow, were told to cut off contact by the Nazi leader's private secretary, Martin Bormann. |
| Read more: | Read more: |
| Hitler was unimpressed by the order, Hoffmann would later say. | Hitler was unimpressed by the order, Hoffmann would later say. |
| "There are people who have a true talent for spoiling my every joy," Hoffmann recalls the Nazi leader telling him in his book, Hitler Was My Friend. | "There are people who have a true talent for spoiling my every joy," Hoffmann recalls the Nazi leader telling him in his book, Hitler Was My Friend. |
| The photographer includes a different picture of the two in his 1955 book, captioned: "Hitler's Sweetheart - it delighted him to see her at the Berghof until some busybody found she was not of pure Aryan descent." | The photographer includes a different picture of the two in his 1955 book, captioned: "Hitler's Sweetheart - it delighted him to see her at the Berghof until some busybody found she was not of pure Aryan descent." |
| The year after Bormann cut off contact, World War Two began. By the time it ended, six years later, six million Jews would be dead. | The year after Bormann cut off contact, World War Two began. By the time it ended, six years later, six million Jews would be dead. |
| Rosa did not survive the war, either. She died of polio, aged 17, in a hospital in Munich in 1943, a decade after her first meeting with Hitler. | Rosa did not survive the war, either. She died of polio, aged 17, in a hospital in Munich in 1943, a decade after her first meeting with Hitler. |