IfZ Publications on Dokumentation Obersalzberg

The volume of photographs and texts entitled Die tödliche Utopie [“Deadly Utopia”] has become a bestseller, with over 77,000 copies sold to date. This is a new type of compendium on the “Third Reich”, providing a broad readership with a better understanding of this period in German history. It is now used in numerous schools as a supplement to their curriculum on contemporary history. A fully revised and expanded 5^th edition of the publication appeared in May 2008, and a 6^th reviewed printing followed three years later (total number of copies: 90,000).  The volume of images, texts, documents, and facts on the “Third Reich” was then supplemented by a CD Tondokumente zum Dritten Reich (“Audio Documents on the Third Reich”), which was issued in an expanded form in November 2008 under the new title Täter – Gegner – Opfer (“Perpetrators – Opponents – Victims”).

Years of work went into a teaching handbook and a related CD with worksheets and image and text sources, which were both published in early 2005. The project was carried out in order to increase the teaching potential of Dokumentation Obersalzberg even further and to enhance the visits of school and other groups to the exhibition. The second printing, which followed a year later, is now also out of print.

Two documentary films are also available from Dokumentation Obersalzberg: The DVD video Obersalzberg. Vom Bergbauerndorf zum Führersperrgebiet: Zeitzeugen berichten/From the Alpine Village to the Führer's Off-limits Area - Eyewitness Reports (with English subtitles) as shown in the video room of the Dokumentation site, and the video Gewalt. Vernichtung. Tod. Szenen aus dem Zweiten Weltkrieg (with Engish chapter headings) as shown in the film room at the bunker site.

A Dokumentation Obersalzberg “teachers’ package”, made up of all these publications, was made available to schools and other educational institutions at a reduced price. Since the handbook and CD are currently out of print, however, the package is not currently available.

Obersalzberg publications can be purchased on site, at the Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History, via this website’s Obersalzberg-Shop, or from other booksellers.