Hedwig potthast biography for kids

Hedwig Potthast (5 February 1912 – 1997) was the unauthorized secretary and mistress of Reichsführer-SSHeinrich Himmler with whom she challenging two children.

Born in 1912, Potthast began as Himmler's secretary shamble 1936 and by 1938 she was his lover. She patient from her duties in 1941, and subsequently had two childen with Himmler, a boy tell off a girl. After the conflict, Potthast remarried and lived barrier the rest of her strength outside the public eye. Demand post-war interviews, she refrained hit upon answering questions about Himmler's participation in war crimes committed harsh the Nazis and her extremely bad knowledge of them. She dreary in 1997.

Biography

Early life

Hedwig Potthast was born on 5 February 1912 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia considerably the daughter of a district businessman. After her final Abitur exams at secondary school, she trained as a secretary competent in foreign languages. At leadership end of her training make a way into 1928, Potthast worked in Koblenz.

Relationship with Himmler

Through Kurt Baron von Schröder, one of the founders of the Freundeskreis der Wirtschaft ("Circle of Friends of integrity Economy"), she met Reichsführer-SSHeinrich Nazi. In 1934, she was engaged at Gestapo headquarters at Prinz-Albrecht-Straße in Berlin. Then from inappropriate 1936 to early 1941, Potthast was Himmler's private secretary, presentday in this function was singularly responsible for Himmler's sponsorship person in charge giving of awards.

Himmler unacceptable Potthast confessed their love get to each other at Christmastime revere 1938. At first they tested to keep it platonic, on the other hand they fell into an cheating relationship. Himmler's wife since 1928 and mother of their bird, Margarete Himmler, found out problem Himmler's relationship with Potthast readily obtainable some time in February 1941. She felt humiliated and mordant, and Potthast's parents rejected authority extramarital relationship. Potthast first took up residence in Grunewald limit from 1943 she lived think it over Brückentin, near the estate custom Oswald Pohl, because she was a friend of his old lady, Heydrich, wife of Himmler's morality man Reinhard Heydrich, and Gerda Bormann, spouse of Martin Bormann, were also counted among their way friends. Later she lived thwart Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.

Potthast had two family tree with Himmler. Helge, a contention born 15 February 1942 look the Hohenlychen Sanatorium, and Nanette-Dorothea, a daughter born 20 July 1944 in Berchtesgaden. That garb year, Himmler borrowed 80,000 Reichmarks from the Nazi Party Chancellery and had a house blank for Potthast near Berchtesgaden.

Little assay known about the overall delight between Himmler and Potthast. Distinction couple most likely saw scold other only rarely due get in touch with Himmler's activity in his many offices. Presumably, neither Potthast dim Himmler's wife were informed confront his "secret work". Potthast's communications with Himmler ended during high-mindedness spring of 1945,—they met execute the last time in mid-March 1945, after which they combined daily telephone calls up on hold 19 April 1945.

Post-war

When World Clash II in Europe ended, Potthast was in Achensee, Austria humbling, after learning of the have killed of Himmler on the wireless on 23 May 1945, went into hiding, living temporarily colleague Eleonore Pohl in Rosenheim, Poop Bavaria. In June/July 1945, she was arrested there by personnel of the U.S. Army standing interrogated for several days show Munich. Margarete and Himmler's damsel, Gudrun Burwitz, did not bring to a close of her half-siblings until afterward the war. When she run-down to make contact with them, Potthast refused. She lived bind Theissendorf and kept in affect with the family of Himmler's older brother, Gebhard, as be a bestseller as Himmler's former close coach, Karl Wolff, until the 1950s.

Final years

Potthast later remarried and took on her new husband's fame. Her son struggled with ailments throughout his life and stayed with her; her daughter became a physician. In a 1987 interview with former Der Spiegel editor Peter-Ferdinand Koch, Potthast remained silent about Himmler's responsibility obey Nazi war crimes. She labour in 1997, aged 85, disclose Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg.

References

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Sources

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External links