IIRC, towards the end of the war, Hitler went into a seclusion where he was not filmed, rarely photographed, and only met with his trusted advisors. About what time did this start?
His last “recreational” event was the 1944 Bayreuth Festival. His last speech was January 20th, 1945.
Run, don’t walk, to see Downfall, if you haven’t already. An incredibly powerful movie, and you really get a sense of how limited his movements and what a tiny clique of loyalists he had with him at the end.
I believe Hitler was filmed and photographed sometime in April 1945, doling out medals to his mighty kinderwaffen.
Actually it was March:
March 20, 1945. Here’s the March 22nd newsreel of the event. Hitler awards the Iron Cross to Hitler Youth members who then recount their acts of heroism:
He also made a visit to the home of the propaganda minister in the last weeks of the war.