In a "feuilleton" published in the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" on October 18, 1989 Zitelmann praised the Holocaust denier David Irving for having "struck a nerve" with his provocative style and aggressive assertions. Zitelmann found much to be praised about Irving's claim that the lack of a written "Führer" order for the "Shoah" suggests that Hitler was unaware of the Holocaust, and argued that if that is true, historians should stop holding the Holocaust against Hitler. Zitelmann ended his article with this claim: "Irving must not be ignored. He has weaknesses he is one of the best knowers of sources... has contributed much to research".