Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

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Mannheim
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Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#1

Post by Mannheim » 15 Mar 2017, 22:39

I have a vague feeling this has been discussed before but a search of this forum has so far produced nothing. My question concerns a building identified in Mark Kopleck's (excellent) "Berlin 1933-1945" (Pastfinder Series). On page 9, there is a building directly opposite the Reich Aviation Ministry labelled "Hitler's Private Office". Does anyone know its purpose, given that it's only a short walk from the New Reich Chancellery?
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Kein Irrtum ist so groß, der nicht seinen Zuhörer hat.

GregSingh
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Re: Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#2

Post by GregSingh » 16 Mar 2017, 01:32

Hi, does he actually say when Hitler's private office was located there and what was the address?

That rectangle seems to cover at least four apartment blocks Nr.51-54
A small map here shows something (Nr.55 ?), but I can't work neither number nor description.

I'm only guessing he rented a place there during 1932-1933 ???

Certainly not after 1937/38 as demolishing/renovating started there around that time and lasted for several years.
(Again we need an address to be sure).


Mannheim
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Re: Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#3

Post by Mannheim » 17 Mar 2017, 01:06

Greg: the only mention of the building I can find is on the map - no dates, no address. In the "Traces of Evil" map I can only make out "Privat XXXXXX des Fuhrers". I thought perhaps it was a sort of crash pad established after he became persona non grata at the Kaiserhof but it seems silly to walk down the street for a cup of tea and a nice lie down when he could have used his rooms at the New Reich Chancellery for that purpose. I'll be in Berlin in a little over a month and am trying to locate places for a Then and Now section on my blog. My interest was also piqued by a photo which Max posted from the Daily Mail "Sun and Swastika' series. Any idea where this might be? I'm guessing the street on the right could be Jagerstrasse:
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GregSingh
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Re: Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#4

Post by GregSingh » 17 Mar 2017, 01:28

Mannheim wrote:seems silly to walk down the street for a cup of tea and a nice lie down when he could have used his rooms at the New Reich Chancellery for that purpose.
No he could not, because that area where his private office was, got demolished for renovations before work on New Reich Chancellery started.
That's why I think it was sometime before 1933 he had that office.

palaisfan
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Re: Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#5

Post by palaisfan » 17 Mar 2017, 02:13

What number is it on that map?

This is interesting. Have never heard of a private office outside the Kaiserhof in that 1931-32 period. It could explain a picture sometimes called his office on Prinzegetenplatz (which it does not match) and or/ Berghof in earlier days. (Also unlikely). If there is no date, however, there is another possibility. He would have needed a place to stay during Jan-April 1934 when the Old Chancellery living areas including his bedroom were remodeled?

Don't know. Most interesting.

GregSingh
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Re: Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#6

Post by GregSingh » 17 Mar 2017, 02:46

Mannheim wrote:Any idea where this might be? I'm guessing the street on the right could be Jagerstrasse:
Responded in Max topic, to keep things in order, as this is not Wilhelmstrasse!

ihoyos
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Re: Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#7

Post by ihoyos » 17 Mar 2017, 13:33

According some books, i read, and I ca not find, that building was the Philipp Bouhler office, until he moves to the New Chancellery building, so that was basically for short period of time the Private Chancellery, wrongly named Privare Office.

Mannheim
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Re: Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#8

Post by Mannheim » 18 Mar 2017, 22:09

OK, thanks, ihoyos! That makes sense. I think (from memory) that the site - opposite the Aviation Ministry - is now close to the place where you can see Berlin from a tethered balloon. I think there's a Trabi hiring place there too.
Kein Irrtum ist so groß, der nicht seinen Zuhörer hat.

palaisfan
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Re: Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#9

Post by palaisfan » 19 Mar 2017, 05:52

ihoyos wrote:According some books, i read, and I ca not find, that building was the Philipp Bouhler office, until he moves to the New Chancellery building, so that was basically for short period of time the Private Chancellery, wrongly named Privare Office.
Ah-ha! That sounds about right. That would explain everything. Its very easy to see how Private Chancellery would get construed as Private Office. Thanks for mentioning that.

Mister S
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Re: Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#10

Post by Mister S » 20 Mar 2017, 01:57

I believe it is either the Privatkanzlei (Private Chancellery​) or the NSDAP Chancellery (Partei Kanzlei). I'm fairly sure it is the NSDAP Chancellery though, as I read from somewhere, because they needed more office space before the New Reich Chancellery and it's some 400 offices were constructed.

Br. James
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Re: Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#11

Post by Br. James » 23 Jun 2017, 17:45

As I understand it, there were two separate key "offices" -- Kanzlei -- originally located at the Brown House in Munich that moved up to Berlin shortly after Hitler became chancellor: Hitler's Private Office, headed by Reichsleiter Philipp Bouhler, and the Office of the Deputy to the Führer -- Rudolf Hess' office. Up until he flew off to Scotland in May of 1941, Hess served as Party Secretary and essentially headed up the NSDAP, as Hitler as Party Chairman soon became far too busy with the national and governmental affairs of the Reichschancellor's Office to also handle his political role. (Note that Hess had inherited many of his responsibilities from Gregor Strasser, who as Reichsorganisationsleiter essentially ruled the Party's political structure with an iron hand. But when Strasser fell from grace in late 1932, Hess stepped in to take over Strasser's position within the Party structure as Deputy to the Führer and Party Secretary, and Dr. Robert Ley was brought in to inherit Strasser's title as National Organizations Leader, where he was given control of the social side of the Party's relationships with the German people.) In Berlin, Ley's staff was housed with that of Hess' office (#64 on the 1936 map titled "Das Regierungsviertel") and Bouhler and his staff were located at #55 on that same map. But when the New Reichschancellery opened in 1939, both of those office structures were absorbed into the new building complex.

Br. James

Adajio
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Re: Bormann's office in Wilhelmstrasse

#12

Post by Adajio » 08 Jul 2017, 14:25

Looking at the map at the top of this post, the office of Deputy Fuhrer is given as #54 Wilhelmstrasse. Is this correct? I have this building down as 63-64. Doesn't the numbering operate consecutively up one side of street (east side) and then continue back down on the west side? Presumably, whatever the number, this particular building was used by Bormann as his Berlin office HQ. Is this correct?

GregSingh
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Re: Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#13

Post by GregSingh » 11 Jul 2017, 02:30

Looking at the map at the top of this post, the office of Deputy Fuhrer is given as #54 Wilhelmstrasse. Is this correct?
:welcome:

They used current addressing in this article. Numbers back in 1930/40 were different. And you are right - Reichsleitung d. NSDAP was 63-64.
Wilhelmstrasse - 1943.jpg
Wilhelmstrasse numbering 1943

Br. James
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Re: Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#14

Post by Br. James » 12 Aug 2017, 23:09

Anyone wishing to view a photocopy of a letter written on Hitler's Private Office letterhead may do so by visiting Brent's Antiques, Inc. at www.brentsantiques.com. Look for item #BA5118, a lot which includes a formally typed letter from Hitler's Private Office, dated 8 April 1935. The letterhead includes the following information:

Adolf Hitler Kanzlei
Berlin W8
Wilhelmstrasse 55

Prior to this office moving to the New Reichschancellery in or shortly after 1939, this is the address where Reichsleiter Philipp Bouhler and his staff conducted Hitler's business.

Cheers,

Br. James

GregSingh
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Re: Hitler's Private Office in Wilhelmstrasse

#15

Post by GregSingh » 01 Sep 2017, 11:09

From Deutsches Reichsadressbuch, Ausgabe 1941
Government.jpg
Government / Administration
NSDAP.jpg
NSDAP
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