David Harper

David Harper was born in New York and grew up in a multicultural household with British, Indian, and American influences in Paris, France. He identifies as a “European American” and his family played an active role in the Allied war effort, with his aunt being executed by the SS at Dachau for her involvement in the Franco-British resistance.

Since 1987, Harper has worked as a tour guide in Germany, specializing in lecturing on the historical significance of Obersalzberg, also known as “Hitler's Mountain” in Berchtesgaden. His research for his first book, a guidebook on Berchtesgaden’s history and culture, led him to deepen his knowledge of the historical events that took place on the mountain during the Third Reich. He became an authority on the subject and was accredited to conduct educational tours at the Dokumentation Obersalzberg interpretive center.

Harper has spent over 35 years giving lectures on WWII themes and the Third Reich in Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Poland, and Italy. He has participated in documentaries and has sought to address misconceptions and clichéd notions about what happened in Germany during Hitler's reign. Though his book, Exposing the Reich, outlines how Hitler could come to power and take Germany to war, it also covers topics such as Hitler’s propaganda campaigns, the role of women in the Reich, and the extent of Nazification among Germans during the regime. He also discusses how Germans have dealt with their Nazi past in contemporary times.

Harper’s works include:

Your Complete Guide to Berchtesgaden (Plenk Verlag 1995 & 2005)

We Rubies Four (co-author) (Omega Pub 2011)

Exposing the Reich: How Hitler Captivated and Corrupted the German People (Rowman & Littlefield 2013)