November 22, 2005
Visitors to the World War II Victory Museum in Fort Wayne, in the US state of Indiana, will be looked down upon by a larger-than-life portrait of Adolf Hitler to remind patrons of the horrific crimes the dictator committed during the Holocaust. The painting, believed to be the only portrait made of Hitler while he was alive, was unveiled Sunday as part of the “Rising Tyrants” exhibit at the museum. It was painted in 1938 by Heinrich Knirr, who was considered the premiere artist in Germany during that time. The painting has been on loan to the museum for the past three years and was officially donated in September. It was captured by an American Army captain in Munich, Germany, during World War II and brought to the United States. War veterans and members of the local Jewish community said the display was not offensive. They argue that it was necessary to keep Hitler’s crimes in the front of people’s minds.
