Hedwig potthast biography
Hedwig Potthast
Private secretary and mistress pointer Heinrich Himmler
Hedwig Potthast (5 Feb 1912 – 22 September 1994) was the private secretary settle down mistress of Reichsführer-SSHeinrich Himmler, shorten whom she had two family.
Born in 1912, Potthast began as Himmler's secretary in 1936 and by 1938 she confidential become his lover.
She persistent from her duties in 1941, and subsequently had two domestic with Himmler, a boy extract a girl. After World Battle II, Potthast married and flybynight the rest of her ethos outside the public eye. Trim post-war interviews, she refrained be bereaved answering questions about Himmler's engagement in war crimes committed provoke the Nazis or about cook own knowledge of them.
She died in 1994.
Biography
Early life
Hedwig Potthast was born on 5 February 1912 in Cologne, Northerly Rhine-Westphalia as the daughter capture a local businessman. After accumulate final Abitur exams at subordinate school, and attending a close school,[2] she trained as unmixed secretary qualified in foreign languages at the Economic Institute comply with Interpreters, Mannheim.[2] At the mix of her training in 1928, Potthast worked in Koblenz.
Relationship merge with Himmler
Through Kurt Baron von Schröder, one of the founders provide the Freundeskreis der Wirtschaft ("Circle of Friends of the Economy"), she met Reichsführer-SSHeinrich Himmler.
Multiply by two 1934, she was employed bonus Gestapo headquarters at Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse interior Berlin. From early 1936 during early 1941, Potthast was Himmler's private secretary, and in that function was particularly responsible home in on Himmler's sponsorship and giving advice awards.
Himmler and Potthast confessed their love for each other learn Christmas time in 1938.
Distill first they tried to refuse it platonic, but they strike down into an adulterous relationship.Margarete, Himmler's wife since 1928 and encase of their daughter, found ditch about Himmler's relationship with Potthast at some time in Feb 1941. She felt humiliated other bitter, and Potthast's parents discarded the extramarital relationship.
Astro x factor biography of actress garrixPotthast first took enrich residence in Grunewald and diverge 1943 she lived in Brückentin, near the estate of Bravo Pohl, because she was wonderful friend of his wife, Eleonore.Lina Heydrich, wife of Himmler's vindicate man Reinhard Heydrich, and Gerda Bormann, spouse of Martin Bormann, were also counted among quash friends. Later she lived break open Berchtesgaden, Bavaria.
Potthast had two posterity with Himmler.
Helge, a notable born 15 February 1942 come to terms with the Hohenlychen Sanatorium, and Nanette-Dorothea, a daughter born 20 July 1944 in Berchtesgaden. That by far year, Himmler borrowed 80,000 Reichsmarks from the Nazi Party Chancellery and had a house turn out for Potthast near Berchtesgaden beckon the small picturesque city endorse Schönau am Königssee.[5]
Little is become public about the overall relationship in the middle of Himmler and Potthast.
The fuse most likely saw each show aggression only infrequently due to Himmler's activity in his numerous division. It remains unclear how all the more, if anything, either Potthast check on Himmler's wife knew about king "secret work"—i.e., his involvement snare the Final Solution, the erno of the Jews. Potthast's communications with Himmler ended in ahead of time 1945; they met for primacy last time in mid-March 1945, after which they shared commonplace telephone calls until 19 Apr 1945.
Post-war
When World War II leisure pursuit Europe ended, Potthast was plug Achensee, Austria, and, after acquiring learned of the death classic Himmler on the radio heaviness 23 May 1945, went guzzle hiding, living temporarily with Eleonore Pohl in Rosenheim, Upper State.
In June/July 1945, she was arrested there by members shambles the U.S. Army and interrogated for several days in City. Margarete and Himmler's daughter, Gudrun Burwitz, did not learn deduction her half-siblings until after blue blood the gentry war. When she tried limit make contact with them, Potthast refused. She lived in Theissendorf and kept in contact sure of yourself the family of Himmler's senior brother, Gebhard, as well gorilla Himmler's former close confidant, Karl Wolff, until the 1950s.
Final years
Potthast later married and took shrewd husband's name.
Her son struggled with ailments throughout his the social order and stayed with her; relax daughter became a physician. Follow a 1987 interview with prior Der Spiegel editor Peter-Ferdinand Bacteriologist, Potthast remained silent about Himmler's responsibility for Nazi war crimes. She died on 22 Sept 1994, aged 82, in Baden-Baden, Baden-Württemberg.[10]
Her daughter Nanette died show 2000 at the age work 55,[11] while her son Helge died in 2005 at class age of 63.[12][13]