A special humor issue (Numéro spécial) of the French satirical newspaper Le Rire (“The Laughter”), mocking Adolf Hitler through a series of caricatures covering most of its pages. The illustrations depict Hitler’s origins, humorously portraying him as the result of his mother overeating pears, and later as a child growing into monstrous proportions. Illustrations by J. Sennep. Paris, 1932.
On the cover, Adolf Hitler is depicted as a baby emerging from a tree, with the caption “Hitler l’enfant de l’Amour” (“Hitler, the Child of Love”)—a phrase referring to a child born out of wedlock, implying that Hitler was created from a tree rather than biological parents. Throughout the issue, a continuous illustrated story unfolds, portraying Hitler’s origins: His mother is depicted as a sorrowful woman who has faced misfortunes all her life. Declared biologically unable to conceive, she miraculously becomes pregnant by eating countless pears. The fetus in her womb initially takes the shape of the Earth, symbolizing Hitler’s later ambitions for world domination. Hitler is born with an iron chain as his umbilical cord and a swastika-shaped birthmark, while his monstrous-looking mother is covered with a blanket labeled “Treaty of Versailles.” His first toys are hand grenades and an automatic pistol, while his milk bottle is shaped like a hand grenade. He grows to monstrous proportions, and people flee from him even as a child.
As early as 1932, this issue of Le Rire recognized the monstrous potential embodied in Adolf Hitler.
[22] pages. Complete issue. Good condition.
