She was so devoted to the leader of the Third Reich that the day after marrying him, she swallowed a cyanide capsule. But was she always faithful to the Führer? Who was able to make her betray the greatest madman of the 20th century?
The acquaintance of Ewa Braun and Adolf Hitler began in 1929, when the then 17-year-old Ewa started working in the photo studio of Heinrich Hoffman, the official photographer of the commander. It was he who from the very beginning tried to bind his employee with the future chancellor in order to buy into his favors. It was said that he wanted to pass his ward F to the ührer "on a silver tray".
However, the rapprochement between Eve and Hitler took place only after the death of another important woman in the life of the dictator, Geli Raubal, in 1931. After the suicide of a competitor, Ewa was invited to a villa in Berghof and began to appear in the company of the leader of the NSDAP.
Their relationship wasn't perfect from the beginning. Adolf Hitler, increasingly busy with politics and strengthening his power, did not have time for regular meetings with Ewa. She, however, missed his presence and felt underappreciated all the time. Wanting to attract attention and get Hitler to marry her, she attempted suicide twice, in 1932 and 1935. Even so, Hitler remained adamant to her cry for attention and was not about to enter into a formal relationship with her.
When World War II began, Eve did not know much about its course. She spent her time in Germany and flew to Italy and France on a specially designed plane for her holidays. Hitler, of course, provided her with such transport. However, when the Germans began to fail at the front, Ewa noticed a change in her partner's behavior. She was spending less and less time with him, and he slowly grew tired and more sick.
A shared "family" dinner. It's just that the "family" is a bit pathological ... The photo comes from the book "Chocolate cake with Hitler" (Bellona Publishing 2017).
Everything stays in the family
It was at this time that Eve's romance with one of the SS officers could begin. Hermann Fegelein, a personal representative of Himmler at the headquarters of the leader of the Third Reich, was a mysterious lover. There was a long gossip about the relationship. Suspicion was additionally aroused by the fact that Fegelein married in 1944 to Ewa's sister - Margarette Braun . This marriage was to be dictated by professional considerations. Indeed, as a wedding present, Hitler made the groom a Major General of the Waffen-SS.
Christa Schroeder, Hitler's secretary, recalled the acquaintance of Ewa and Hermann in the following words:
Even today I see an image that I will not forget. After the dance was over, Fegelein lifted Eve with both hands up to his chest. And when Ewa was literally lying in his arms, they both looked into each other's eyes with great tenderness and longing ; Fegelein was clearly very attracted to Eve.
The article was inspired by the book "Chocolate cake with Hitler" (Bellona Publishing 2017).
Was Eve really in a secret relationship with her sister's husband? It is not known. But such a scenario may also be indicated by the fact that when Fegelein secretly left Hitler's bunker on April 25, 1945, called Ewa and urged her to escape together.
Two days later he was found completely drunk in one of the districts of Berlin and shot in prison the next night. At the same time, Hitler married Ewa, and then committed suicide with her. Their bodies were burned by the adjutant of the Führer.
The turbulent relationship lasted more than 15 years. It was a time full of misunderstandings and hurts, but also undoubtedly fascination. It is not known whether Hitler loved Eve, but in the will he left behind, she was the first. It will also always be a mystery whether Ewa remained faithful to her partner until the end of her life.
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The Agony of the Third Reich through the eyes of a 12-year-old girl. "Chocolate cake with Hitler" is a well-documented story of the fall of Germany from the perspective of a child. More information at the Bellona publishing house bookstore.
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