Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
,
chancellor
Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
and dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945, signed his
political testament and his private will in the ''
Führerbunker
The () was an air raid shelter located near the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. It was part of a subterranean bunker complex constructed in two phases in 1936 and 1944. It was the last of the Führer Headquarters (''Führerhaupt ...
'' on 29 April 1945, the day before he
committed suicide with his wife,
Eva Braun.
The political testament consisted of two parts. In the first, ''Mein politisches Testament'', Hitler denied charges of warmongering, expressed his thanks to Germany's loyal citizens, and appealed to them to continue the struggle. In the second, he declared
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and military leader who was the 4th of the (Protection Squadron; SS), a leading member of the Nazi Party, and one of the most powerful p ...
and
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician, aviator, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which gov ...
to be traitors, and set out his plan for a new government under
Karl Dönitz. Hitler's secretary
Traudl Junge recalled that he was reading from notes as he dictated the testament, and it is believed that
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and philologist who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief Propaganda in Nazi Germany, propagandist for the Nazi Party, and ...
helped him write it.
Both the Political Testament and the Private Will and Personal Testament of Adolf Hitler were dictated to Junge during the last days of Hitler's life and signed on 29 April 1945. These artifacts are not to be confused with an entirely different—and controversial—document known as ''The Testament of Adolf Hitler''.
Will
The last will was a short document signed on 29 April at 04:00. It acknowledged his marriage—but does not name Eva Braun—and that they choose death over disgrace of deposition or
capitulation; and that their bodies were to be
cremated
Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning.
Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...
. The will divided up Hitler's belongings as follows:
* His art collection is left to "a
gallery in my home town of
Linz
Linz (Pronunciation: , ; ) is the capital of Upper Austria and List of cities and towns in Austria, third-largest city in Austria. Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, south of the border with the Czech Repub ...
on the
Danube
The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
;"
* Objects of "sentimental value or necessary for the maintenance of a modest simple life" went to "
brothers and sisters," and "above all" Eva Braun's mother and his "faithful co-workers" such as his "
old secretaries" and housekeeper Mrs.
nniWinter. However, he also required that his chief private secretary
Martin Bormann
Martin Ludwig Bormann (17 June 1900 – 2 May 1945) was a German Nazi Party official and head of the Nazi Party Chancellery, private secretary to Adolf Hitler, and a war criminal. Bormann gained immense power by using his position as Hitler ...
be the one who was "given full legal authority to make all decisions," as well as the one who was "permitted to take out everything that has a sentimental value or is necessary for the maintenance of a modest simple life" for these people as well.
* Whatever else of value was to be given to the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
, and then, should the party no longer exist, to
the State. Should the State also be destroyed, "no further decision of mine is necessary."
Bormann was nominated as the will's
executor
An executor is someone who is responsible for executing, or following through on, an assigned task or duty.
The feminine form, executrix, is sometimes used.
Executor of will
An executor is a legal term referring to a person named by the maker o ...
and was also "given full legal authority to make all decisions." The will was witnessed by Bormann, Goebbels, and Colonel
Nicolaus von Below.
Testament
The last political testament was signed at the same time as Hitler's last will, 04:00 on 29 April 1945. It was in two parts. The first part of the testament talked of his motivations in the three decades since volunteering in
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, repeated his claim that neither he "nor anyone else in Germany wanted the war in 1939," stated his reasons for his intention to commit suicide, and praised and expressed his thanks to the German people for their support and achievements. Also included in the first testament are statements detailing his claim that he tried to avoid war with other states and attributed responsibility for it to "
international Jewry and its helpers." He would not "forsake Berlin
..even though the forces were too small to hold out." Hitler expressed his intent to choose death rather than "fall into the hands of enemies" and "the masses" in need of "a spectacle arranged by Jews." He concluded with a call to continue the "sacrifice" and "struggle." He expressed hope for a renaissance of the National Socialist movement with the realisation of a "true people's community (''Volksgemeinschaft'')."
The second part of his testament lays out Hitler's intentions for the German government and the Nazi Party after his death and details who was to succeed him. He expelled ''
Reichsmarschall'' Hermann Göring from the party and dismissed him from all of his state offices. He also cancelled the 1941 decree naming Göring as his successor in the event of his death. To replace him, Hitler named ''
Großadmiral''
Karl Dönitz as
President of the Reich and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. ''
Reichsführer-SS
(, ) was a special title and rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945 for the commander of the (SS). ''Reichsführer-SS'' was a title from 1925 to 1933, and from 1934 to 1945 it was the highest Uniforms and insignia of the Schut ...
'' and
Interior Minister
An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and iden ...
Heinrich Himmler was also expelled from the party and dismissed from all of his state offices for attempting to negotiate peace with the western Allies without Hitler's "knowledge" and against permission. Hitler declared both Himmler and Göring to be traitors.
Hitler appointed the following as the new Cabinet and what he saw as the new leaders of the German nation:
[; ]
* President of the Reich (''Reichspräsident''), Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces (''Oberster Befehlshaber der
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
''),
Minister of War
A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
(''Kriegsminister''), and
Commander-in-Chief of the Navy (''Oberbefehlshaber der
Kriegsmarine
The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...
''): Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz
* Chancellor of the Reich (''Reichskanzler''): Joseph Goebbels
* Party Minister (''Parteiminister''): Martin Bormann
*
Foreign Minister
In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
(''Aussenminister''):
Arthur Seyss-Inquart
*
Interior Minister
An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and iden ...
(''Innenminister''): ''
Gauleiter
A ''Gauleiter'' () was a regional leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) who served as the head of a ''Administrative divisions of Nazi Germany, Gau'' or ''Reichsgau''. ''Gauleiter'' was the third-highest Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party, rank in ...
''
Paul Giesler
*
Commander-in-Chief of the Army (''Oberbefehlshaber des
Heeres''):
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...
Ferdinand Schörner
*
Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force (''Oberbefehlshaber der
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
''): Field Marshal
Robert Ritter von Greim
*
''Reichsführer-SS'' and Chief of Police (''Reichsführer-SS und Chef der Deutschen Polizei''): ''Gauleiter''
Karl Hanke
*
Minister of Economy (''Wirtschaft''):
Walther Funk
*
Minister of Agriculture (''Landwirtschaft''):
Herbert Backe
*
Minister of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
(''Justiz''):
Otto Georg Thierack
*
Minister of Culture
A culture minister or a heritage minister is a common cabinet position in governments. The culture minister is typically responsible for cultural policy, which often includes arts policy (direct and indirect support to artists and arts organiza ...
(''Kultur''): Dr.
Gustav Adolf Scheel
*
Minister of Propaganda (''Propaganda''): Dr.
Werner Naumann
Werner Naumann (16 June 1909 – 25 October 1982) was a German civil servant and politician. He was State Secretary in Joseph Goebbels' Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda during the Nazi Germany era. He was appointed head of th ...
*
Minister of Finance (''Finanzen''):
Johann Ludwig Graf Schwerin von Krosigk
*
Minister of Labour (''Arbeit''): Dr.
Theo Hupfauer
*
Minister of Munitions
The Minister of Munitions was a British government position created during the First World War to oversee and co-ordinate the production and distribution of munitions for the war effort. The position was created in response to the Shell Crisis o ...
(''Rüstung''):
Karl-Otto Saur
* Director of the
German Labour Front and member of the Cabinet (''Leiter der Deutschen Arbeitsfront und Mitglied des Reichskabinetts: Reichsminister''): Dr.
Robert Ley
Witnessed by Goebbels, Bormann, General
Wilhelm Burgdorf, and General
Hans Krebs.
On the afternoon of 30 April, about a day and a half after he signed his last will and testament, Hitler and Braun
committed suicide. Within the next two days, Goebbels, Burgdorf, and Krebs also committed suicide. Bormann's fate was unknown for decades, but the positive identification of his remains in 1998 indicated that he died fleeing on 2 May 1945 to avoid capture by the Soviet
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
forces encircling Berlin.
Authorship
In his book ''
The Bunker'',
James O'Donnell, after comparing the wording of Hitler's last testament to the writings and statements of both Hitler and Goebbels, concluded that Goebbels was at least partly responsible for helping Hitler write it. Junge stated that Hitler was reading from notes when he dictated the testament after midnight on 29 April.
History of the documents
Three messengers were assigned to take the will and political testament out of the besieged ''Führerbunker'' to ensure their presence for posterity. The first messenger was deputy press attaché
Heinz Lorenz. He was arrested by the British while travelling under an alias as a journalist from Luxembourg. He revealed the existence of two more copies and messengers:
Willy Johannmeyer, Hitler's army adjutant, and Bormann's adjutant SS-''Standartenführer''
Wilhelm Zander. Zander was using the pseudonym "Friedrich Wilhelm Paustin" to travel, and was shortly apprehended along with Johannmeyer in the
American zone of occupation. Thus, two copies of the papers ended up in American hands, and one set in British hands. The texts of the documents were published widely in the American and British press by January 1946 but British
Foreign Secretary,
Ernest Bevin
Ernest Bevin (9 March 1881 – 14 April 1951) was a British statesman, trade union leader and Labour Party politician. He co-founded and served as General Secretary of the powerful Transport and General Workers' Union from 1922 to 1940 and ...
, considered restricting access to these documents. He feared they might become cult objects among the Germans. Since they were public knowledge already, the Americans did not share these concerns but nonetheless agreed to refrain from further publication of them. Hitler's testament and his marriage certificate were presented to US President
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. As the 34th vice president in 1945, he assumed the presidency upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt that year. Subsequen ...
. One set was placed on public display at the
National Archives in Washington for several years.
Hitler's original last will and testament is currently housed in the security vault of the
National Archives at College Park
The National Archives at College Park (also known as "Archives II") is a National Archives facilities, major facility of the National Archives and Records Administration of the United States which is located in College Park, Maryland. The facili ...
in
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
.
Aftermath
All four witnesses to the political testament died shortly afterwards. Goebbels and his wife committed suicide. Burgdorf and Krebs committed suicide together on the night of 1/2 May in the bunker. Bormann's exact time and place of death remain uncertain; his remains were discovered near the site of the bunker in 1972 and identified by DNA analysis in 1998. He probably died the same night trying to escape from the .
In the
Flensburg Government of Hitler's appointed successor as Dönitz, the depositions of
Albert Speer
Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer (; ; 19 March 1905 – 1 September 1981) was a German architect who served as Reich Ministry of Armaments and War Production, Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany during most of W ...
and
Franz Seldte were ignored (or the two ministers quickly reinstated). Neither former incumbent
Joachim von Ribbentrop
Ulrich Friedrich-Wilhelm Joachim von Ribbentrop (; 30 April 1893 – 16 October 1946) was a German Nazi politician and diplomat who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs (Germany), Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nazi Germany from 1938 to 1945. ...
nor Hitler's appointee, Seyß-Inquart, held the post of Foreign Minister. The post was given to Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk, who after Goebbels' suicide temporarily became the Leading Minister of the German Reich (Head of Cabinet, post equivalent to Chancellor). He declined the position a day later.
Only three of Hitler's known "brothers and sisters" survived infancy and were still living at the time of death, full-blooded sister
Paula Hitler and half-siblings
Alois Hitler Jr. and
Angela Hitler. Alois Hitler Jr.'s
only surviving son William
William is a masculine given name of Germanic languages, Germanic origin. It became popular in England after the Norman Conquest, Norman conquest in 1066,All Things William"Meaning & Origin of the Name"/ref> and remained so throughout the Middle ...
, who was raised and supported by only his
mother
A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...
and her family after Alois Jr. deserted them while fighting for Germany during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, was also estranged from his uncle Adolf Hitler, who he publicly stated he "hated" by 1939. William defected to Britain where he had previously lived before taking up residency in Germany in 1933 and to the United States, where he served as a U.S. soldier during World War II. In 1952, Hitler's sister Paula tried to claim her inheritance under the will, but was unsuccessful because Hitler had yet to be legally declared dead.
All three of Hitler's "
old secretaries", who were named in the will as being among the co-workers who could inherit some of his belongings, were caught and arrested.
Johanna Wolf and
Christa Schroeder would be arrested in May 1945 and
Gerda Christian in March 1946. Hitler's youngest secretary Traudl Junge, who typed Hitler's testaments, was arrested in June 1945.
Numerous items which were in Hitler's possession at the time of his death were auctioned off in April 1971 by the estate of his housekeeper Anni Winter. In 1954, a court ruling resulted in Winter losing possession of numerous items to the state of
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
. However, Winter was allowed to keep some of items, which she pledged to sell in order to acquire a cafe. By 1971, Winter was acknowledged to have had possession of at least five dozen items of Hitler’s, including numerous personal photographs. According to ''
Time
Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'', Winter had an "ardor for collecting just about anything Hitler touched."
References
Informational notes
Citations
Bibliography
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*
* —The German version of the testament includes the fifteen other names only noted as "Here follow fifteen others" in the English translation published by the U.S. Government.
*
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External links
The Death of Hitlerexplains why Hitler had fallen out with Goering.
Documents in the National ArchivesThe Discovery of Hitler's Wills
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hitler, Adolf
1945 documents
1945 in Germany
April 1945 in Europe
will
Will may refer to:
Common meanings
* Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death
* Will (philosophy), or willpower
* Will (sociology)
* Will, volition (psychology)
* Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will
...
Heinrich Himmler
Hermann Göring
Joseph Goebbels
Karl Dönitz
Hitler, Adolf
will
Will may refer to:
Common meanings
* Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death
* Will (philosophy), or willpower
* Will (sociology)
* Will, volition (psychology)
* Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will
...
World War II documents