Cycling was a mass phenomenon in the 1930s and 1940s, regularly attracting thousands of enthusiastic spectators to race courses and arenas.

In Berlin, the professional cyclist Erich "Wüste" Hoffmann (1912 - 1990) was a highly acclaimed fan favorite. His career is emblematic of cycling’s growing professionalization and popularization in the Nazi and post-war periods.

Insight into Hoffmann’s successful career is provided by 40 original press photos from his estate, which is kept safely in the Deutsches Technikmuseum’s historical archives. These are being presented for the first time, to mark the 200th anniversary of the invention of the bicycle. Many of the images were taken by Max Schirner (1891 - 1952), a pioneer of sports photography.