Arminius and Hitler

An odd one popped into my inbox. The top lot at a recent auction was the drawing of a foundry worker facing an allegorical figure said to be Arminius and attributed to Hitler. Indeed the foundry worker could well be a self-portrait. Paul Fraser Collectibles has an article on the piece.

Hitler was certainly an admirer of Arminius:

“Our history goes back to the days of Arminius and King Theoderic, and among the German Kaisers there have been men of the most outstanding quality; in them they bore the germ of German unity.”

And:

“If the Romans had not recruited Germans in their armies, the latter would never have had the opportunity of becoming soldiers and, eventually, of annihilating their former instructors. The most striking example is that of Arminius who became Commander of the Third Roman Legion [sic]. The Romans instructed the Third in the arts of war, and Arminius afterwards used it to defeat his instructors.” 

Both of the above quotes are from Hugh Trevor Roper, Hitler’s Table Talk 1941-1944 (London, 1953). Nonetheless, there is little chance that the figure in the image in the drawing could possibly be Arminius. In all visual representations of the Cheruscan hero, he is the young heroic leader and the imagery is characterised by youth and vitality. Given that the figure is in a forge with a swastika in the background, wouldn't Hephaestus make more sense?

Comments

[Maureen]

More likely to be Weland, the betrayed and imprisoned smith who got revenge on everybody.