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The Hidden Hitler is the English language version of the 2001 book Hitlers Geheimnis. Das Doppelleben eines Diktators by German professor and historian Lothar Machtan. The original book was published in Germany by Alexander Fest Verlag, while the English-translated version was published by Basic Books in New York City. (ISBN 0-465-04308-9)

The book discusses Adolf Hitler's sexuality. Machtan argues that Hitler was a closeted homosexual. Among the evidence, it cites the allegedly homoerotic nature of his friendship with August Kubizek during Hitler's youth in Vienna.

The question of Hitler's homosexuality is also raised in Walter C. Langer's pioneering work The Mind of Adolf Hitler and in Waite's psychoanalytic history The Psychopathic God: Adolf Hitler.

Industry reviews

• Booklist - "This professor of modern history at Bremen University in Germany argues, with persuasive power, that to fully understand the Third Reich, one must realize that Hitler was homosexual and understand the homoerotic nature of the Nazi movement."
• Library Journal - "Machtan is able to provide evidence for his assertions as well as a nuanced and readable study of Hitler's sexuality."

See also

• The Pink Swastika
• List of Adolf Hitler books
• The Saturday Night Live character "Gay Hitler" possibly based on Machtan's book at Saturday Night Live characters appearing on Weekend Update
• Discussion of "Springtime for Hitler" in the film The Producers (1968 film)
• National Socialist League (United States)--The Gay Nazi Party

External links

• The Sunday Telegraph (10/7/2001) said: "the distinguished German historian Dr Lothar Machtan presents compelling evidence that Adolf Hitler was a homosexual."
• Q-online [1] article by Paula Martinac, a Lambda Literary Award-winning author
• The New York Times [2] Walter Reich was critical of the book, saying that Machtan's biggest problem "isn't the reliability of his sources but his mode of argumentation."
• The Washington Post [3] said "the author presents extensive evidence that Hitler was a homosexual and that his fear of his sexual identity being exposed shaped several of his political decisions and key historical events during the Nazi era."
• Die Zeit review by historian Hans Mommsen, "Viel Lärm um nichts" (German: "Much Ado About Nothing"): "Lothar Machtan's thesis that Adolf Hitler was a homosexual is scientifically neither tenable nor fertile."
• Die Welt (10/13/2001) review by historian Ian Kershaw, "Der ungerade Weg" (German)
• Lothar Machtan authorized "The Hidden Hitler" to be scanned in full by Amazon.com [4] to facilitate search referencing.