Summary of 6th May 1983: The Hitler Diaries proven to be forgeries
On May 6, 1983, West Germany's federal archives officially confirmed that the Hitler Diaries were forgeries after forensic tests revealed textual inconsistencies and the use of materials unavailable during the purported time of writing. The diaries had been presented as lost personal journals of Adolf Hitler, allegedly recovered after a World War II plane crash that killed Hitler’s personal valet and supposedly carried Hitler’s private archives.
The diaries were actually forged by Conrad Kujau, who posed as an antiques dealer and sold the fake volumes to journalist Gerd Heidemann. Heidemann convinced the German magazine Stern to purchase 62 volumes for 9.9 million Deutsche Marks and also sold serial rights to other publications. Initially, respected historians such as Hugh Trevor-Roper and Gerhard Weinberg authenticated the diaries but grew skeptical as the publication date neared. Subsequent forensic examination by the Bundesarchiv exposed the forgery.
Following the exposure, Kujau was arrested and imprisoned, and Heidemann was also jailed for embezzling money from the deal with Stern.
Presenters/Contributors:
- Robert Harris (journalist, commentator)
- Gerd Heidemann (journalist involved in the scandal)
- Conrad Kujau (forger)
- Hugh Trevor-Roper (historian)
- Gerhard Weinberg (historian)
Category
News and Commentary