Eva Braun; What If?

[Jonathan Saunders]

According to Traudl Junge's testimony, Hitler wanted his female staff, including Eva Braun, to leave Berlin on 22nd April. As we know, they all refused, led by Eva.

I wondered what would have happened to Eva had she left and then survived the war from Bavaria ie. in the American Zone. She wouldn't have been Mrs Hitler but I expect the full details of her relationship with him would have been disclosed at some stage.

Looking at the wives of the senior Nazis that survived the war, I think only Emmy Goering spent time in prison (12 months for being an active Nazi) but Margarete Speer, Margarete Himmler, Henriete von Schirach, Lina Heydrich, as examples, were all spared prison.

Of Hitler's female staff, I only know that Junge was arrested and interrogated but I don't think she was ever convicted of any crime and sent to prison.

I'd be grateful for any views on would likely have happened to Eva?

[redcoat]

She had no active role within the Nazi government and had no influence on any of the criminal acts committed by that government, so she wouldn't have faced any legal action from any of the western powers and I'm fairly sure the Soviets wouldn't have been too bothered about her either.

[Larry C]

She would of faced interrogation the same as other high ranking profile figures including Goring and Himmlers wives.

[sandeepmukherjee196]

She may have been hounded off and on throughout her life, at whim whenever someone got up on the wrong side of the bed.

Down the decades there have been sudden bouts of moral indignation against all things identified with the regime. At such times it wouldn't matter what she actually did or didn't .

Who knows.... she may have been petrol bombed like Peiper?

Traudl Junge says she had a harrowing time in Russian Berlin till she finally escaped. But then she was given to saying strange things and making stuff up wholesale about events related to her original escape from Berlin and it's aftermath.

Brunhilde Pomsel, a secretary of Goebbels was apparently in Soviet prison for 5 years.

So who knows. ...

Cheers
Sandeep

[Wordsworth]

Actually I do believe Frau Himmler and Gudrun were detained for a couple of years after the war.

As to Eva, that's a dicey question. If she'd stayed in Bavaria, she certainly would have avoided the severe punishments meted out by the Soviets. If she'd been captured in Berlin there is no question in my mind that the Soviets would have held her for years, maybe even indefinitely. As to how the Americans would have treated her, I guess the closest approximation would be to look at how Hitler's relatives were treated.

Hitler's siblings were all detained and interrogated by the Western Allies. And released. Because they were nobodies. They weren't government officials, military officers or even high-ranking Nazi Party members. In fact, I don't believe Alois Hitler, Jr or Paula Hitler were members of the party at all . Paula Hitler lived in obscurity for most of the rest of her life, cared for by former members of Hitler's inner circle and SS. Alois Jr was cleared by the de-nazification courts of any wrongdoing but was still not permitted a job of any importance. He was relegated to manual labor and sold autographed photos of his brother on the side.

However, Alois did change his last name to Hiller so that his last name wouldn't jump out at people when he showed his papers. I have no information about Angela Hitler Raubel Hammitzch's life after the war beyond the fact that she died in 1949.

As to Eva....well, I can't be sure. She was a girlfriend, not a relative. She saw Hitler a lot more than his siblings did; she certainly benefited materially from her relationship with him. My guess is this: she would have been detained, interrogated and probably held for a couple of years before being released. She wasn't a party member either or in any position to make decisions in the Nazi regime so she would not have been tried as a war criminal.

She would have been a novelty. Newspaper articles, magazines, newsreels would parade her about, interviewing her, trying to find out as much about Hitler's private life as she would give. She certainly couldn't have provided much other information about him. Would she give it?

She might have had to change her name if she wanted privacy. Since she wouldn't have married Hitler and died with him, one can assume she might have been a beneficiary of a will. I speculate that she might have tried to have the will enforced.

She might have been a flash in the pan celebrity for awhile. Then the post-war world, tired of Hitler, may have tired of her.

It's an interesting question: would a living Eva Braun have ever been able to fall into obscurity?

[sandeepmukherjee196]

I feel that Eva Braun Hitler had a much higher profile than Gudrun et al. Glamorous people attract more fascination as well as more resentment from the ordinary non-descript masses. I am fairly certain that many indignant folks would have been infuriated if Eva Hitler Braun seemed to get away scot free. They would have been fired up with images of Hitler's lady having had such a good time with him and having enjoyed a luxurious life. They would have demanded her scalp in some form.

[Wordsworth]

She probably would have had a harder time with ordinary Germans than the others did, I agree.

So she may have had to change her name, keep a low profile...how successful she would have been at that is iffy.

[Jonathan Saunders]

Thanks to all for your replies. All interesting and thought provoking.

[CPB]

Interesting question, and I have wondered the same thing.

Seeing as she was 'only' born in 1912 it wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibility that, had she escaped Berlin, she could [in theory] still be alive today. Very VERY old...but alive.

[sandeepmukherjee196]

Somehow one can't imagine Eva Braun as a wrinkled .. stooped old lady. Or maybe if she was alive .... she would have ensured that she remained graceful and charming at any age.
She was a person who, afterall, wanted to be a "beautiful corpse" even in death!

Cheers
Sandeep

[ihoyos]

very rich widow no doubts.

[sandeepmukherjee196]

very rich widow no doubts.

Doubt that. Hitler left behind nothing. Except the Berghof .... which was then demolished. Royalties from the sales of Mein Kampf would have accrued to her.... period.

[sandeepmukherjee196]

The other issue is that had Eva not stayed back in Berlin after the 22nd ... she would technically not been Hitler's widow and hence there was no question of getting any of his stuff.

[Wordsworth]

But she may have still been included in a previous will if Hitler had one. He left things to his relatives and close friends, so he could have left items to her.

Whether she would have seen any of it is up in the air. I think Paula Hitler had to go to court to be declared Hitler's legal heir and she was his sister. If they had to wrangle legal rights with a relative, I'm not sure Eva would have had an easier time.

[ihoyos]

Only in royalty for memories, millions