ABSTRACT
W a l t e r H e g e w a s the f irst p h o t o g r a p h e r to be a w a r d e d , i n 1955, the D a v i d - O c t a v i u s - H i l l M e d a l b y the Gesel lschaft D e u t s c h e r L i c h t b i l d n e r ( G D L ) . H i s efforts to d e v e l o p c o l o u r process ing techni - ques h a d m e t w i t h w o r l d w i d e a p p r o v a l . H i s p h o t o g r a p h s of G e r m a n cathedrals , the A t h e n i a n A c r o p o l i s a n d G r e e k temples are witnesses of the c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h the l e a d i n g art h is tor ians of N a t i o n a l Social is t G e r m a n y . A s v i s u a l d o c u m e n t s they represent detai ls w h i c h m a y n o l o n g e r be extant or m a y be altered. S i m u l t a n e o u s l y they are e x a m p l e s f o r a n heroic m o n u m e n t a l i s m m a k i n g w o r k s of art c o n - f o r m to racist ideals of beauty. T h i s article w i l l describe the re la t ions h i p b e t w e e n s o m e of H e g e ' s p h o t o g r a p h s a n d the texts of art h i s tor ians . M o r e o v e r i t w i l l reconstruct h i s b i o g r a p h y i n re la t ion to G e r m a n p o l i t i c a l history. It w i l l take a n e w a p p r o a c h , d i s c u s s i n g the c o m p l e x in terre la t ion b e t w e e n the h i s t o r y of p h o t o g r a p h y , art h i s - tory, a n d N a t i o n a l Social ist r a c i s m i n G e r m a n y .
