The Fates of Top Nazis Wives & Mistresses
The secret lives of women in Hitler’s inner circle reveal shocking truths about the Nazi leaders. What was their fate after the war?
With the curiosity brought by the Nazi leaders, their inner circle also carries the intrigue. Behind the famous figures, the lives of the influential women who acted as partners in the crime of the Nazi tyrants open up a new chapter of mystery around the happening of world war II.
The wives and mistresses of the highly regarded Nazis lived luxurious lives, representing the German dream. They were more than accessories to their male counterparts. They had important roles in the running of the Nazi administration, employing their forms of control behind the scenes. However, with the downfall of the Nazi regime in May 1945, their fates took a tragic turn as they were no longer under the protection of the status they once held with their husband’s ranks, fueling uncertainty and fear.
Gretl Fegelein
A prominent figure from Nazi Germany’s inner circle was Gretl Fegelein. She was Eva Braun’s sister and Adolph Hitler’s friend.
She became connected to the dictator through her marriage to Hermann Fegelein, who was an SS liaison to Hitler. Her fairy tale took a drastic turn in the middle of the war when her husband faced betrayal, leading to execution. This left Gretl pregnant and widowed during the final days of the war.
This also marked the collapse of her intimate connection to the inner circle. She decided to remain in Obersalzberg while her sister Eva went with Hitler to the bunker in Berlin. This showed the magnitude of the uncertainty that was written in her future after her husband’s death. Gretelss daughter was born days after Hitler and Eva committed suicide, indicating the juxtaposition of despair and hope for her. She named her daughter after her sister to symbolize her bond.
The life of Gretel after the war was full of challenges she wasn’t prepared to overcome. She was betrayed by her friend, who exposed the hiding place of valuable materials belonging to her husband. This resulted in the loss of all the memories and moments she had of her husband’s existence.
Her second marriage, along with the suicide of her daughter, further amplified her sorrows and hardships experienced post-Nazi regime. Close to her end, Gretel’s life was impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. It was a tragic reminder for her of the people she had lost and the traumas she experienced along the way. She passed away in 1987 at the age of 69, indicating the end of a dark period.
Margarete Himmler
Margarete Himmler was the wife of Heinrich Himmler, a leading member of the Nazi party. She soon found herself standing in the heart of the Nazi administration as her husband’s faithful supporter and advisor.
Her connection with the dictatorship reflected the fear and terror of the German population. Margarete Himmler was born in 1905 and was raised in a middle-class background.
Heinrich joined the Nazi Party, and Margarete met him in 1927, before his total involvement in the Nazi regime. As their romance progressed, Margarete became more lured into Himmler’s world of mystery and power. His passion for homeopathy and natural medicine matched her interests. Their wedding took place in 1928. Soon Margret was immediately confronted by the realities of life as the wife of a rising Nazi functionary.
Margarete stood by her husband at all times. She accompanied him on his official visits and even had a firsthand experience of the concentration camps. Despite the rumors about her husband’s infidelities and his detached behavior, Margarete was determined to stay true to him and to Himmler’s ideas of creating a new Germany for the Aryan race.
When the war drew to a close, and the chilling truths of the Holocaust were exposed, Margarete’s loyalty was tested several times. Interned and interrogated by the Allied forces, Margarete was accused of crimes that she had committed with her husband. However, throughout the investigations, she never lost her faith in Himmler, and even though the evidence kept piling up against him, she still refused to betray him.
Finally released from her internment in 1946, Margarete was confronted by an entirely new conflict, which was to reconstruct and start a new life after the war ended. Margarete was still loyal to her husband’s legacy, and she defended it against the discrimination of her association with Himmler and the policies of the Nazi regime. She fought for her right to be acknowledged and for the protection of her family from her dark past.
Gerda Bormann
The life of Gerda Bormann, the wife of the Nazi official Martin Bormann, embodies what it meant to be a woman in Nazi Germany. She faced a life of suffering due to her decision to stand by her husband, which started a chain of destructive events.
Even though Martin committed numerous adulteries and humiliated her in public, Gerda persevered and embraced the role of the faithful wife and caring mother within the inner circle of Hitler. Greda witnessed her husband’s success in the Nazi party, gaining more influence and status among the appointed Nazi leaders.
With the odds of the war against Gerda, her world started falling apart. Her life of luxury as the Nazi leader’s wife turned into turmoil and suffering. Just as the whole regime, ruled by Nazis, did. With the Allied forces gradually taking over, Gerda was presented with the cruel truth of defeat. She became aware of the fact that her loyalty to her husband became a severe burden for herself.
Even though she remained steadfastly faithful to Martin, she was affected by his narcissism. Her narrative shows the consequences of blind allegiance. Gerda Bormann’s life remains a reminder of the cost of loyalty during a time of tyranny.
The end of the war also marked Gerda’s death in prison. Closer to her demise, she had become isolated and vulnerable, with her former prestige overshadowed by association with her husband’s crimes.
Emmy Göring
Emmy von Göring, the wife of the head of the air force Hermann von Göring, was the pinnacle of fashion and grandeur within the Nazi elite.
Emmy was regarded as the “First Lady of the Reich,” as she Emmy enjoyed the privileges resulting from her husband’s rank. Her life in the inner circle of Hitler was filled with parties, luxurious homes, and expensive lifestyles, all paid for by the wealth of war and the exploitation of the indigenous people of the occupied regions.
Emmy’s grace and elegance made her a likable personality in Nazi society, where the members of society loved her as she was distinguished for her great taste and mannerism. She threw lavish parties at the Göring residence, attended by high-ranking state officials and foreign diplomats. However, underneath the grandeur of her life, she had to deal with her husband’s evil ambitions as well as the fall of the Nazi regime.
With the Nazi regime collapsing, Emmy also lost the life she knew. The bombings from the allied forces lead to the demolition of her luxurious mansions to nothingness. The end of the tyranny led to radical changes indicted by imprisonment, lawsuits, and money loss.
Even though Emmy tried to protect her husband’s reputation and defend his honor, she still felt rejected and found her reputation being tarnished in post-war Germany. Having lost all her property and honor and left with only the remains of her empire, Emmy accepts her new reality. Emmy Göring’s story shows the temporary nature of power and privilege. Her journey from glamor to ruin is a reminder of supporting the wrong side of history.
A biographer, Roger Manvell, stated, “Emmy Göring, the second wife of Hermann Göring, was a prominent figure in Nazi Germany’s social scene. She was known for her extravagant lifestyle and lavish parties, which often showcased the wealth and power of the Nazi leadership”.
Conclusion
The narratives of the women from Hitler’s inner circle showcase the intricacies of the world of Nazi Germany, including loyalty, betrayal, tragedy, and privilege of their once helpful status. Reflecting upon the lives of these women shows the consequences of power and blind faith in the disturbing causes that were being practiced and preached by their husbands, the enduring legacy of collective guilt.
The voices of these women show the cost of tyranny and oppression and the fragility of power. Despite the tragedies unfolded by the war, these women stayed true to their roles as mothers, wives, and individuals true to the cause of what their husbands represented, showing the rigidity of society and the patriarchy that existed at the time as well.
