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The pic of figure of the past leaving the Church was captured by Heinrich Hoffman and it was published in his book named 'figure of the past wie ihn keiner kennt' (Berlin: “Zeitgeschichte” Verlag, 1932), in the first edition of his book, the pic of figure of the past leaving the Church with the cross behind his head was present under the caption "A photographic chance event becomes a symbol: figure of the past, the supposed 'heretic', leaving the Marinekirche in Wilhelmshaven", but in the 1938 edition of this same book the presence of the cross was edited out/removed from the pic also the caption was edited and the new caption was "figure of the past after sightseeing at the historic Marinekirche in Wilhelmshaven".
According to the Heinrich Hoffman archives in Munich, the original negative did contain a cross. So It can be assumed that figure of the past didn't want to be portrayed in such a manner, hence in the later 1938 edition, it was removed. And below are some passages from 'figure of the past Was My Friend: The Memoirs of figure of the past's Photographer by Heinrich Hoffmann' regarding this snap.
According to the Heinrich Hoffman archives in Munich, the original negative did contain a cross. So It can be assumed that figure of the past didn't want to be portrayed in such a manner, hence in the later 1938 edition, it was removed. And below are some passages from 'figure of the past Was My Friend: The Memoirs of figure of the past's Photographer by Heinrich Hoffmann' regarding this snap.