Original Clip from Der Untergang (2004)

About

“The Hitler Meme” or “Hitler finds out” is a video meme involving the addition of new subititles to the dramatic scene of Hitler’s final meltdown from the German movie Downfall directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel. The subtitles are often anachronistically altered with humerous English subtitles surrounding current events.

From the NYTimes: “Fire up YouTube. There you can see the Hitler figure erupt in frustration over his Xbox. He flips out because his friends aren’t going to Burning Man. And, recently, he loses it because Sarah Palin isn’t working out as a running mate. Something in the spectacle of an autocrat falling to pieces evidently has widespread appeal.”

Origin

The earliest known subtitle spoof of Downfall was uploaded by YouTube user DReaperF4 on August 10th, 2006. Titled “Sim Heil: Der untersim” and subbed in Spanish, the video shows Hitler fuming over the lack of new features in the demo trial of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator X, which was later released in October 2006.

Then on August 30th, DReaperF4 uploaded the English sub version of “Sim Heil” upon popular request in the comments, making the joke accessible to the rest of Flight Sim fans on YouTube. The original YouTube video was deleted upon copyright claim by the film stdio on December 26, 2009, as documented by YouTomb.

Update: Director’s Approval

On January 15th, 2010, New York Magazine‘s entertainment blog Vulture caught up with Hirschbiegel about his opinion of how the scene has been used online.
Excerpt:


Someone sends me the links every time there’s a new one…
I think I’ve seen about 145 of them! Of course, I have to put the sound down when I watch. Many times the lines are so funny, I laugh out loud, and I’m laughing about the scene that I staged myself! You couldn’t get a better compliment as a director.

Read more: The Director of Downfall Speaks Out on All Those Angry YouTube Hitlers — Vulture

Notable Spoofs & Parodies

Hitler gets banned from X-Box Live:

Hitler plans Burning Man:

Hitler’s Windows Vista Problems:

Real Estate Downfall:

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35 Comments

fredbob
Jan 07, 2009 at 01:42AM UTC , fredbob wrote:

I made a website for these videos: http://hitlerme.me

Longcat
May 07, 2009 at 07:19PM UTC , Longcat wrote:

I’ve seen a version of this for my local football team. Seriously man, wtf.

Selene
May 19, 2009 at 01:26AM UTC , Selene wrote:

My favorite version is the one for iSketch…

Hitler Banned From ISketch! Funny home videos are a click away

CaptMatt15
Jul 11, 2009 at 04:01AM UTC , CaptMatt15 wrote:
joe blow
Jul 17, 2009 at 12:15AM UTC , joe blow wrote:

godwins law. i dont care anymore

gamov
Jul 18, 2009 at 06:20AM UTC , gamov wrote:

Hilter and iPhone 3GS launch in Singapore:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=102393662780&ref=share

My fav is still the XBox live.

s0apscum
Aug 04, 2009 at 08:47PM UTC , s0apscum wrote:

Have to do it:

perez
Sep 09, 2009 at 02:43PM UTC , perez wrote:

In portuguese, a political satyre about brazilian senate scandals:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7uBejqQJlc

Last HCompany
Sep 23, 2009 at 08:51AM UTC , Last HCompany wrote:

This is one for RuneScape

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tqGDwsi8iM

By Tehnoobshow.

norsehorse89
Sep 24, 2009 at 01:05AM UTC , norsehorse89 wrote:

Hitler Reacts to Virginia Tech Beating Nebraska:

DoubleBond
Oct 07, 2009 at 03:39AM UTC , DoubleBond wrote:

Would renaming this meme to “Hitler freaks out” be possible? It sounds more appropriate to me since so much of the meme has to do with that specific scene in Downfall.

jamar0303
Oct 14, 2009 at 04:00PM UTC , jamar0303 wrote:

If only I could find the Japanese one about the proposed JAL/ANA merger again… that one was funny. "What do you mean, “Call it JANA?” What about the “L” in “JAL”?! But ANAL is a completely inappropriate name!"

Ali Kokror
Oct 22, 2009 at 09:16AM UTC , Ali Kokror wrote:

So no one can really tell which one of these zillion clips were the 1st to be made ?

Walter K.
Nov 03, 2009 at 07:51AM UTC , Walter K. wrote:

ehum. REMIXES HERE! GET YOUR HITLER REMIXES HERE!

Chi The Cat
Nov 17, 2009 at 08:30AM UTC , Chi The Cat wrote:

There were like three of them in the article that were removed for copyright violation. People need to start posting who owns the footage!

slaps on “Endangered Meme” sticker!

Just Use Your Imagination!
Nov 19, 2009 at 11:04PM UTC , Just Use Your Imagination! wrote:

If you don’t upload this, this will seriously be the DOWNFALL of Know Your Meme

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8fbrUjjivw

It’s about Grammar Nazi. Now what else could be more epic about that?

Elsaitu
Nov 24, 2009 at 09:43AM UTC , Elsaitu wrote:

here is one really funny about Hitler ranting about Hitler parodies ^^

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqqxRPZdfvs&feature=player_embedded

MDFF
Dec 08, 2009 at 06:25AM UTC , MDFF wrote:

Creating this meme is so involved, I love the amount of work that must go into it.

Nissan GT-R:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOAXJTTc__w

Scuba Diving:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmqWSbJRrOI

andyrowe
Dec 28, 2009 at 06:03AM UTC , andyrowe wrote:

Masem
Jan 05, 2010 at 08:27PM UTC , Masem wrote:
Iain Smith
Jan 11, 2010 at 01:33PM UTC , Iain Smith wrote:

inventoroflies
Jan 25, 2010 at 06:49AM UTC , inventoroflies wrote:

there’s one about Glenn Beck too, I think.

Andrea Rosen
Jan 28, 2010 at 01:34AM UTC , Andrea Rosen wrote:

Hitler Finds Out Scott Brown Won Massachusetts Senate Seat:

Anonymous efar
Jan 30, 2010 at 08:34AM UTC , Anonymous efar wrote:

There is one about Little Big Planet, a PS3 exclusive game.

Sundeep.Dougal
Feb 05, 2010 at 04:17PM UTC , Sundeep.Dougal wrote:

Oh, there is one about J.D. Salinger as well now:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj_4mXTGWS0

Max nunyobisnis
Feb 07, 2010 at 04:44PM UTC , Max nunyobisnis wrote:

Hitler finds out about the Apple iPad:

pilaf
Feb 09, 2010 at 02:36AM UTC , pilaf wrote:

This video was uploaded to YouTube on Feb 2006, so it’s 6 months older than the one suggested here as the original. It’s based off a different scene from the film, but the concept is the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_7-A16ZYC0

The original author is an Argentine guy who goes by the handle “Pájaro Juarez”. In this version (also in Spanish) Hitler complains about the prices at a restaurant and plots a scheme to leave without paying.

tdxiang
Feb 12, 2010 at 05:07AM UTC , tdxiang wrote:
Mellow
Feb 17, 2010 at 01:33AM UTC , Mellow wrote:

Hitler plans Burning Man video was posted twice under Notable Spoofs & Parodies. Edit

Brad Kim
Feb 17, 2010 at 01:52AM UTC , Brad Kim wrote:

done! thanks mellow

yeebok
Feb 24, 2010 at 12:28PM UTC , yeebok wrote:

I haven’t seen this one listed – apologies if it already is :
Hitler – Internet Censorship Australia

DragoonKnight
Feb 25, 2010 at 03:27AM UTC , DragoonKnight wrote:

The Gmod Idiot Box Episode 8 and Hitler. He really wants it to be released. This is kind of outdated, because it has already been released.

gfunk
Feb 27, 2010 at 07:43AM UTC , gfunk wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIaQsSGfvK8

Hitler discovers the new SciFi show Slingers is not yet a pilot. Shout-outs to twitter, posterous, lost, Warren Ellis and tons more.

meh
Mar 08, 2010 at 06:21AM UTC , meh wrote:

Thought I’d spice things up a bit:

CRAPS.YTMND.COM (it’s a classic over there)

norsehorse89
Mar 14, 2010 at 09:01AM UTC , norsehorse89 wrote:

A different scene in Der Untergang parodied Hitler “talking” to Edward Hill:

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