Heil Hitler!

The expression “Heil Hitler!” appears as a public salute at the arrival of Reinhard Heydrich, Reichsprotektor and the highest-ranking visitor to the biometric research center. Spoken by Stahl before the assembled staff, it is both a ritual declaration of loyalty to Adolf Hitler and a visible act of submission within the Nazi hierarchy; Heydrich’s unceremonious acknowledgement makes the imbalance of power especially clear.

The salute at Heydrich’s arrival

Stahl raises his right arm and gives the call as the convoy reaches the center. The procession has announced Heydrich’s rank before he speaks: his dark green Mercedes carries the Hakenkreuz on its front mudguard and SS–3 on its number plate. The narration places Hitler at SS–1 and Heinrich Himmler at SS–2, making Heydrich’s position legible through the vehicle’s markings as well as the officials and motorcycles accompanying him.

The salute is therefore more than a greeting. Delivered before the staff, it publicly aligns Stahl with the regime and acknowledges the authority embodied by its visitor. The scene gives the formula the force of an action: Stahl does not merely refer to Hitler but enacts allegiance through a prescribed gesture and spoken words.

Ritual and hierarchy

Heydrich answers with only a jaunty wave, as if he can treat the invoked leader with a familiarity unavailable to those saluting him. He addresses Stahl by name, says that he has heard of his work, and then cuts short Stahl’s elaborate welcome. He wants to see what the staff do, not hear what they think about his visit. The exchange contrasts Stahl’s formal performance of deference with Heydrich’s freedom to disregard ceremony and set the terms of the encounter.

The salute’s public uniformity thus does not erase differences in power. Stahl stands among the staff and performs the expected ritual; Heydrich, marked as SS–3, can acknowledge it casually and immediately redirect the conversation. The expression registers the regime’s authority, while the visitor’s response reveals how that authority is exercised through rank and personal command.