Bernd Rosemeyer, the world-famous racing driver of the 1930s, was considered a role model for generations of motorsport enthusiasts worldwide after his fatal accident in 1938. While it has long been known that his racing career was closely linked to his membership in the SS, this connection has rarely been critically examined. Rosemeyer is still widely portrayed as an apolitical person who was forced to engage with the Nazis in order to have the opportunity to compete as a racing driver.

This book investigates the specific circumstances of Rosemeyer's entanglement with National Socialism and argues against the continuation of an uncritical Rosemeyer cult. The impetus for this study is the planned opening of a private Rosemeyer museum in Lingen.