See Weird Photo Of Adolf Hitler In Japanese Kimono

A photo has emerged online showing Adolf Hitler dressed in the most outlandish costume ever. Hitler is shown in the photo dressed in a robe that appears to be a Japanese Kimono.

Independent verification of the authenticity of the photo is difficult, but according to the U.K.’s Express, the photo is likely authentic, although its origin is unknown.

It is believed to have been produced to commemorate the November 25, 1936, signing of a pact between Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

A commenter on the Answer Bank suggested that the emblem shown on either side of the Fuhrer’s chest is the German Reichsadler symbol with an eagle holding a wreath of oak leaves, but the Nazis modified the symbol by adding a swastika. The commenter argues that if that is the case, then it is unlikely that the costume was a Japanese kimono.

“I think the emblem shown twice on either side of his chest is the eagle holding a wreath of oak leaves, originally the symbol for Germany (Reichsadler) with the eagle’s head to the left. The Nazis added a swastika in the wreath and turned the eagle’s head the other way… If this is the case, it’s definitely not a Japanese kimono.”

According to the Express, the image is possibly among several produced after Hitler was sworn in as chancellor in 1933. Some of the photos were emblazoned on a vast array of collectibles produced in large quantities by the regime.

The Nazis gave detailed attention to producing imposing symbols and imagery to project the power and presence of the regime in the minds of subjects, and Hitler reportedly personally supervised the management of projection of the image of the party and the Third Reich through its familiar symbols, such as the swastika.

The obsessed preoccupation of the Nazis with producing imposing imagery of the regime has helped to create and sustain a lasting market for Nazi memorabilia.

You can still get authentic Nazi memorabilia today.

But it is very unlikely that Hitler would be thrilled to know that someone has unearthed an image of him dressed in what looks like a Japanese kimono. And this is not the only embarrassing self-portrait that Hitler would have loved to keep hidden from the world. The Daily Mail recently published photos of Hitler posing in lederhosen and knee-high socks. The photos reportedly come from a Hitler “fan magazine” from the 1930s found by a British soldier in a German house after the war.

Hitler reportedly banned the photos showing him in lederhosen and knee-high socks, describing them “beneath one’s dignity.”

[Image via Express]