Heinrich Himmler, wife Marga, with daughter Gudrun (front centre) and two nervous-looking little friends out fishing, date unknown.  Location is likely to be on the Tegernsee, Bavaria, where Marga maintained a large villa.  While Himmler maintained an external front of National Socialist familial propriety (and Himmler remained very close with his daughter, Gudrun), by this stage the couple had become distant, and Himmler had discovered another "interest".  Best regards, JR.

Himmler the angler.

Adolf Hitler with the "Discobolus Palombara", a fine 1st century A.D. full-size copy in marble of the famed Greek sculptor Myron's original bronze of the 5th century B.C., now (like so many original classical Greek statues) lost.  The "Discobolus" was one of the most admired sculptures of the ancient world, and copies of somewhat varying quality, and in a range of scales and media, survive from the Roman period.

Hitler greatly admired this statue - he may have seen it first when visiting Rome - and very much wished to purchase it.  This did not prove straightforward - the Italian Arts ministry and artistic community in general opposed the sale.  However, "raisons d'état" eventually prevailed; Italian Foreign Minister Count Ciano engineered the sale of the statue to Hitler in 1938, over the objections of his outraged colleague Arts Minister, for five million lire.  The "Discobolus Palombara" was subsequently displayed in the Glypothek, Munich.  It eventually returned to Italy in 1948, and is now the property of Italy's National Museum at Rome.  It is displayed, very appropriately, in the Baths of Diocletian.  Best regards, JR.  PS - I will refrain from commenting in any way on the current state of Greco-German relations ... JR.



Men of Marble ?

Hedwig Potthast ("Haschen"), daughter of a professional soldier (sergeant-major).  Joined the SS staff as a secretary at the age of 22 (1934), at which time she met Heinrich Himmler.  Appears to have become Himmler's mistress in 1939.  They set up a separate household at Mechlenburg, and had a son and a daughter together.  Himmler's relationship with Hedwig seems to have mellowed the old stick somewhat, according to acquaintances and friends.  While her degree of contact with Marga seems to have been minimal, neither was there much sign of friction between the pair.  Hedwig must, in any event, have had some contact with Himmler's daughter (by Marga) Gudrun, who was often called to her father's side even on official occasions.  Best regards, JR.
BTW - while authorship is uncertain, the style of this photo suggests Heinrich Hoffman at his most artistic ... JR.