Faking Hitler

Abstract: On April 25, 1983, STERN, a renowned German magazine, held a press conference attended by more than 200 journalists and 27 television crews from all around the world. On that day, STERN announced that it had obtained private diaries of Adolf Hitler through a confidential source and intended to publish them. The Hamburg based magazine had already signed several contracts with various European magazines and newspapers to sell them exclusive serialization rights for the publication of those diaries. Despite rising doubts, on April 28, 1983, excerpts from the diaries were published as a series by the German magazine. "Hitler's diaries discovered" was the headline of this first STERN issue. In parallel, other European magazines and newspapers, which had acquired the exclusive rights to publish the diaries in their home countries, followed STERN in their decision. On May 6, 1983, the diaries were officially declared to be forgeries after thorough scientific investigations by the German Federal Criminal Police Office. STERN and the other media organizations involved in the scandal faced severe criticism and were at risk of losing their credibility and good reputation.