ABSTRACT

The memorable unmasking of the forged Hitler diaries was an international scandal, for the hoax was sold to many newspapers and magazines around the world. It involved, in its origins, the copyright owned by the Hamburg weekly, Stern, whose editors had apparently unearthed the "long-lost manuscripts" of Der Führer, had them "authenticated", and launched with great éclat its ill-fated scoop. The "Hitler Diaries" scandal was the high point of its post-War career. If they were authentic, Stern had the greatest scoop-of-the century; if they were not, they would publish the biggest "inside story" of the biggest hoax-of-the-century. In the affair of Stern and the counterfeit Hitler Diaries–extensive handwritten notebooks–the hoax was a natural temptation for the press which is in the business of publishing printed matter, by the Fülhrer or by any other hand. The chapter then presents the mysteries of the Piltdown forgery.