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VERY RARE SEVEN PIECE 1943 VIENNA POLICE FILE OF A SPEEDING CASE INVOLVING THE WIFE OF HITLER’S PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHER HEINRICH HOFFMANN, WITH HANDWRITTEN ANNOTATIONS BY REICHSLEITER BALDUR VON SCHIRACH

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This is a very interesting seven piece grouping of police reports and statements regarding a traffic stop for speeding involving Frau Erna Hoffmann, the second wife of Adolf Hitler’s personal photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann. Mrs. Hoffmann was also the mother-in-law of Reichsstatthalter of Vienna, Baldur von Schirach, who got involved in this delicate matter and personally annotated several reports using his unmistakable green pencil. The file was even sent to the Main Vienna Motorized Traffic Department of Der Reichsführer-SS und Chef der deutschen Polizei (Heinrich Himmler, Head of the Nazi Police)!

Above, the cover letter attached to the file of Frau Erna Hoffmann's speeding case. The text states that driver Fischer should be punished and that it was important to make sure that the police officer face no repercussions. The handwritten annotations in red are by Regierungspräsident Dr. Hans Dellbrügge, the Deputy of Reichsstatthalter von Schirach.

The extensive file is about a traffic incident on 22 June 1943 at 18:30. Heinrich Fischer, driving a car with license plate W 52 515, was stopped for speeding as he drove up to 60 km per hour (38 mph) in a densely populated neighborhood of Vienna where the speed limit ranged from 20 - 40 km. The speeding was observed by Hauptwachtmeister der Schutzpolizei Alfons Bauer, driving police car number 23336.

This was a very delicate matter as the reports state that the driver Heinrich Fischer claimed that policeman Bauer bullied him during the traffic stop (and “would be sorry!” for doing so) and that Frau Hoffmann was indignant about being stopped by the police and that she would complain about Bauer.

Green pencil notations by Reichsstatthalter of Vienna, Baldur von Schirach himself show he got personally involved. On an Abschrift or copy of policeman Bauer’s report, Von Schirach wrote Strenge Bestraffung!, meaning the audacious accusations by the driver should be “severely punished”.

There is an official memo sent on 15 July 1943 by the Polizeipräsident of Vienna (the highest ranking police officer in the second largest city in Greater Germany) to the Deputy of Baldur von Schirach, the elusive Nazi Regierungspräsident Wien Dr. Hans Dellbrügge.

He stated that upon further research by the Motorized Traffic Company of the Reichsführer-SS in Vienna, it was clear that the vehicle involved in the traffic stop was registered to Heinrich Hoffmann Jr, the brother-in-law of Reichsleiter Baldur von Schirach!
The police memo also stated that since 6 May 1942 that vehicle was marked with a special red chevron as it was used for business purposes by the Reichsbildberichterstatter der NSDAP located at Operngasse 19 in downtown Vienna.

This was not a regular speeding ticket case! Heinrich Fischer was driving Mrs. Erna Hoffmann, the wife of Reichsbildberichterstatter Heinrich Hoffmann. Fischer claimed Frau Hoffmann was responsible for the use of the car and Mrs. Hoffmann claimed that she was delivering three pictures on behalf of her husband, from Vienna to the suburb of Weidling in the Vienna Woods. Upon inspection, the pictures were not special and seemed to have no value but Mrs. Hoffmann did not wish to elaborate.

Due to the fact that Mrs. Hoffmann could not prove her claim and that her story seemed implausible, policeman Bauer suspected “misuse of the vehicle”. He further stated that Frau Hoffmann was indignant about being stopped by the police and that she said she “would complain about me.”

On another memo (above) Von Schirach wrote that he would personally speak to Hauptwachtmeister der Schutzpolizei Bauer to acknowledge his approval for Bauer’s actions, and that Bauer would not have to worry about any repercussions. Von Schirach put his initials BvS below these annotations in green pencil (right).

This 100% original 1943 traffic police file with rare annotations by a Reichsleiter (the second-highest political rank in the Nazi Party!) still has its original staples, as well as punch holes. It was rescued years ago from the original city archives of Vienna - see picture below for additional interesting provenance.