The Personal Files of Benito Mussolini

Today’s post comes from Sonia Kahn in the National Archives History Office. It is part five of a series on the history of some of the seized foreign records housed at the National Archives. Unlike the very systematic seizure and filming of German records, the acquisition of many of the Italian records that made their … Continue reading The Personal Files of Benito Mussolini

On Exhibit: The American Debate about Alcohol Consumption During World War II

Today’s post comes from Emily Niekrasz, an intern in the National Archives History Office in Washington, DC. In March 2015 the National Archives opened “Spirited Republic: Alcohol in American History,” a new exhibit that explores the complex love-hate relationship between America and alcohol. The exhibit’s curator, Bruce Bustard, has written, “These two different views of alcoholic … Continue reading On Exhibit: The American Debate about Alcohol Consumption During World War II

Hitler’s Final Words

This post comes from Greg Bradsher's latest article “Hitler’s Final Words” in Prologue magazine. Bradsher is a senior archivist at the National Archives and a frequent contributor to Prologue. A little after 11 p.m., Gertrude Junge, the 25-year-old secretary to Adolf Hitler, woke from a one-hour nap, and, thinking it was time for the nightly tea with her … Continue reading Hitler’s Final Words

More Hitler art albums discovered

This morning in Dallas, TX, the Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero, Senior Archivist Greg Bradsher, and President of the Monuments Men Foundation Robert M. Edsel announced the discovery of two original albums of photographs of paintings and furniture looted by the Nazis. The Monuments Men Foundation will donate these albums, which have … Continue reading More Hitler art albums discovered

Hitler and his Dentist

Today's guest post comes from Miriam Kleiman of the Public and Media Communications Office. Before joining the Public Affairs staff, I was a researcher for the “Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government Records Interagency Working Group.” I reviewed records of Nazi war criminals, including those recruited by the U.S. intelligence. Needless to say, this … Continue reading Hitler and his Dentist

George Clooney and the National Archives: One degree of separation

Today's guest post was written by Miriam Kleiman, who works in the National Archives Public Affairs Office. George Clooney’s next film—which he will write, direct, and star in—is based on holdings from the National Archives!  Clooney announced last weekend that his number-one priority is to make a film about the “Monuments Men,” a group of … Continue reading George Clooney and the National Archives: One degree of separation

How to annoy Hitler

Today's post comes from National Archives Office of Strategy and Communications staff writer Rob Crotty. Each of the German victories, and there were a surprising number of these, made [Adolf Hitler] happy, but he was highly annoyed by the series of triumphs by the marvelous colored American runner, Jesse Owens. People whose antecedents came from … Continue reading How to annoy Hitler