On this day May 6, 1983, the infamous Hitler Diaries were officially revealed to be a hoax. The supposed personal journals of Adolf Hitler had been published by a German magazine and gained international attention, with media outlets and historians eager to uncover their contents. Just weeks after the initial release, scientific analysis and historical inconsistencies exposed the documents as fraudulent.
The forgeries were created by Konrad Kujau, a German con artist who had been selling fake Nazi memorabilia for years. His elaborate fabrication fooled journalists and editors alike, resulting in one of the biggest scandals in publishing history.
Fun fact: The West German Federal Archives confirmed the diaries were fake after just two days of examination, revealing that the paper and ink used were produced long after World War II.
The forgeries were created by Konrad Kujau, a German con artist who had been selling fake Nazi memorabilia for years. His elaborate fabrication fooled journalists and editors alike, resulting in one of the biggest scandals in publishing history.
Fun fact: The West German Federal Archives confirmed the diaries were fake after just two days of examination, revealing that the paper and ink used were produced long after World War II.
