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Last will and testament of Adolf Hitler#Testament

{{short description|Will and testament of Nazi dictator}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}

File:Political Testament of Adolph Hitler 1945 page 1.jpg

Adolf Hitler, chancellor and dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945, signed his political testament and his private will in the Führerbunker on 29 April 1945, the day before he committed suicide with his wife, Eva Braun.

The political testament consisted of two parts. In the first, Mein politisches Testament, Hitler denied charges of warmongering, expressed his thanks to Germany's loyal citizens, and appealed to them to continue the struggle. In the second, he declared Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Göring to be traitors, and set out his plan for a new government under Karl Dönitz. Hitler's secretary Traudl Junge recalled that he was reading from notes as he dictated the testament, and it is believed that Joseph Goebbels helped him write it.

Both the Political Testament and the Private Will and Personal Testament of Adolf Hitler were dictated to Junge during the last days of Hitler's life and signed on 29 April 1945. These artifacts are not to be confused with an entirely different—and controversial—document known as The Testament of Adolf Hitler.{{efn|The Testament of Adolf Hitler consists of alleged recordings made by Martin Bormann from Hitler's bunker in Berlin; it purports to be a continuation of the widely published table talks Hitler conducted during the course of the war. While previous biographers Joachim Fest and Alan Bullock—as well as other historians—have taken them as legitimate, but their authenticity is questioned by a considerable number of scholars, not the least of which includes Ian Kershaw, who refused to reference them in his authoritative work on Hitler. Nilsson has given evidence ranging from testimonies to editing to historical mistakes to prove it is a forgery.{{sfn|Nilsson|2018|pp=871–891}} On this, also see Kershaw.{{sfn|Kershaw|2001|pp=1024–1025, fn 121}} }}

Will

{{wikisource|My Private Will and Testament}}

The last will was a short document signed on 29 April at 04:00.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=950}} It acknowledged his marriage—but does not name Eva Braun—and that they choose death over disgrace of deposition or capitulation; and that their bodies were to be cremated.{{sfn|McDonough|2021|pp=566–567}} The will divided up Hitler's belongings as follows:{{sfn|Hitler|1945a}}

  • His art collection is left to "a gallery in my home town of Linz on the Danube;"{{sfn|McDonough|2021|p=566}}
  • Objects of "sentimental value or necessary for the maintenance of a modest simple life" went to "brothers and sisters," and "above all" Eva Braun's mother and his "faithful co-workers" such as his "old secretaries" and housekeeper Mrs. [Anni] Winter. However, he also required that his chief private secretary Martin Bormann be the one who was "given full legal authority to make all decisions," as well as the one who was "permitted to take out everything that has a sentimental value or is necessary for the maintenance of a modest simple life" for these people as well.{{sfn|International Military Tribunal|2019|pp=259–260}}
  • Whatever else of value was to be given to the Nazi Party, and then, should the party no longer exist, to the State.{{sfn|McDonough|2021|p=566}} Should the State also be destroyed, "no further decision of mine is necessary."{{sfn|International Military Tribunal|2019|pp=259–260}}

Bormann was nominated as the will's executor and was also "given full legal authority to make all decisions."{{sfn|International Military Tribunal|2019|pp=259–260}} The will was witnessed by Bormann, Goebbels,{{sfn|International Military Tribunal|2019|pp=259–260}} and Colonel Nicolaus von Below.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|pp=948, 950}}

Testament

{{wikisource|My Political Testament}}

The last political testament was signed at the same time as Hitler's last will, 04:00 on 29 April 1945.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=950}} It was in two parts. The first part of the testament talked of his motivations in the three decades since volunteering in World War I, repeated his claim that neither he "nor anyone else in Germany wanted the war in 1939," stated his reasons for his intention to commit suicide, and praised and expressed his thanks to the German people for their support and achievements.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=948}} Also included in the first testament are statements detailing his claim that he tried to avoid war with other states and attributed responsibility for it to "international Jewry and its helpers."{{sfn|Hitler|1945b}} He would not "forsake Berlin [...] even though the forces were too small to hold out." Hitler expressed his intent to choose death rather than "fall into the hands of enemies" and "the masses" in need of "a spectacle arranged by Jews."{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=949}} He concluded with a call to continue the "sacrifice" and "struggle."{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=949}} He expressed hope for a renaissance of the National Socialist movement with the realisation of a "true people's community (Volksgemeinschaft)."{{sfn|Hitler|1945b}}

The second part of his testament lays out Hitler's intentions for the German government and the Nazi Party after his death and details who was to succeed him. He expelled Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring from the party and dismissed him from all of his state offices. He also cancelled the 1941 decree naming Göring as his successor in the event of his death. To replace him, Hitler named Großadmiral Karl Dönitz as President of the Reich and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|pp=949, 950}} Reichsführer-SS and Interior Minister Heinrich Himmler was also expelled from the party and dismissed from all of his state offices for attempting to negotiate peace with the western Allies without Hitler's "knowledge" and against permission.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=949}} Hitler declared both Himmler and Göring to be traitors.{{sfn|Evans|2008|p=724}}

Hitler appointed the following as the new Cabinet and what he saw as the new leaders of the German nation:{{harvnb|Hitler|1945b}}; {{harvnb|NS-Archiv}}

Witnessed by Goebbels, Bormann, General Wilhelm Burgdorf, and General Hans Krebs.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=950}}

On the afternoon of 30 April, about a day and a half after he signed his last will and testament, Hitler and Braun committed suicide.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|pp=953–955}} Within the next two days, Goebbels, Burgdorf, and Krebs also committed suicide. Bormann's fate was unknown for decades,{{sfn|Whiting|1996|pp=98–99, 101, 127, 144}} but the positive identification of his remains in 1998{{sfn|Miller|2006|p=154}} indicated that he died fleeing on 2 May 1945 to avoid capture by the Soviet Red Army forces encircling Berlin.{{sfn|Lang|1979|p=417}}

Authorship

In his book The Bunker, James O'Donnell, after comparing the wording of Hitler's last testament to the writings and statements of both Hitler and Goebbels, concluded that Goebbels was at least partly responsible for helping Hitler write it. Junge stated that Hitler was reading from notes when he dictated the testament after midnight on 29 April.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=946}}

History of the documents

Three messengers were assigned to take the will and political testament out of the besieged Führerbunker to ensure their presence for posterity. The first messenger was deputy press attaché Heinz Lorenz. He was arrested by the British while travelling under an alias as a journalist from Luxembourg. He revealed the existence of two more copies and messengers: Willy Johannmeyer, Hitler's army adjutant, and Bormann's adjutant SS-Standartenführer Wilhelm Zander. Zander was using the pseudonym "Friedrich Wilhelm Paustin" to travel, and was shortly apprehended along with Johannmeyer in the American zone of occupation. Thus, two copies of the papers ended up in American hands, and one set in British hands. The texts of the documents were published widely in the American and British press by January 1946 but British Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin, considered restricting access to these documents. He feared they might become cult objects among the Germans. Since they were public knowledge already, the Americans did not share these concerns but nonetheless agreed to refrain from further publication of them. Hitler's testament and his marriage certificate were presented to US President Harry S. Truman. One set was placed on public display at the National Archives in Washington for several years.{{sfn|Eckert|2012|pp=46–47}}

Hitler's original last will and testament is currently housed in the security vault of the National Archives at College Park in Maryland.{{efn|A three-part article chronicling how the documents came into the possession of the Allies can be found at the National Archives' webpage.{{sfn|Bradsher|2016}} }}

Aftermath

All four witnesses to the political testament died shortly afterwards. Goebbels and his wife committed suicide. Burgdorf and Krebs committed suicide together on the night of 1/2 May in the bunker. Bormann's exact time and place of death remain uncertain; his remains were discovered near the site of the bunker in 1972 and identified by DNA analysis in 1998. He probably died the same night trying to escape from the {{lang|de|Führerbunker}}.{{efn|Martin Bormann—in one of the 10 groups attempting to escape from the bunker complex—managed to cross the Spree. He was reported to have died a short distance from the Weidendammer bridge, his body was seen and identified by Artur Axmann who followed the same route.{{sfn|Beevor|2002|p=383}}}}

In the Flensburg Government of Hitler's appointed successor as {{lang|de|Reichspräsident}} Dönitz, the depositions of Albert Speer and Franz Seldte were ignored (or the two ministers quickly reinstated). Neither former incumbent Joachim von Ribbentrop nor Hitler's appointee, Seyß-Inquart, held the post of Foreign Minister. The post was given to Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk, who after Goebbels' suicide temporarily became the Leading Minister of the German Reich (Head of Cabinet, post equivalent to Chancellor). He declined the position a day later.{{sfn|Hillmann|Zimmermann|2014|p=45–50}}

Only three of Hitler's known "brothers and sisters" survived infancy and were still living at the time of death, full-blooded sister Paula Hitler and half-siblings Alois Hitler Jr. and Angela Hitler.{{sfn|Mitchell|2013|pp=29–32}} Alois Hitler Jr.'s only surviving son William, who was raised and supported by only his mother and her family after Alois Jr. deserted them while fighting for Germany during World War I, was also estranged from his uncle Adolf Hitler, who he publicly stated he "hated" by 1939.{{sfn|Maye|2019}} William defected to Britain where he had previously lived before taking up residency in Germany in 1933 and to the United States, where he served as a U.S. soldier during World War II.{{sfn|Maye|2019}}{{sfn|Brown|Duff|2006}} In 1952, Hitler's sister Paula tried to claim her inheritance under the will, but was unsuccessful because Hitler had yet to be legally declared dead.{{sfn|Joachimsthaler|1999|p=10}}

All three of Hitler's "old secretaries", who were named in the will as being among the co-workers who could inherit some of his belongings,{{sfn|International Military Tribunal|2019|pp=259–260}} were caught and arrested. Johanna Wolf and Christa Schroeder would be arrested in May 1945 and Gerda Christian in March 1946.{{sfn|O'Donnell|1978|pp=271, 274, 291}}{{sfn|Joachimsthaler|1999|pp=281, 291, 293}} Hitler's youngest secretary Traudl Junge, who typed Hitler's testaments,{{sfn|Beevor|2002|pp=343, 344}} was arrested in June 1945.{{sfn|Joachimsthaler|1999|pp=290–291}}

Numerous items which were in Hitler's possession at the time of his death were auctioned off in April 1971 by the estate of his housekeeper Anni Winter.{{sfn|Time, 1971}} In 1954, a court ruling resulted in Winter losing possession of numerous items to the state of Bavaria.{{sfn|Time 1954, "Among the Souvernirs"}} However, Winter was allowed to keep some of items, which she pledged to sell in order to acquire a cafe.{{sfn|Time 1954, "Among the Souvernirs"}} By 1971, Winter was acknowledged to have had possession of at least five dozen items of Hitler’s, including numerous personal photographs.{{sfn|Time, 1971}} According to Time, Winter had an "ardor for collecting just about anything Hitler touched."{{sfn|Time, 1971}}

References

=Informational notes=

{{notelist}}

=Citations=

{{reflist}}

Bibliography

{{refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}

  • {{cite book |last=Beevor |first=Antony |author-link=Antony Beevor |year=2002 |title=Berlin: The Downfall 1945 |publisher=Viking–Penguin Books |location=London |isbn=978-0-670-03041-5}}
  • {{cite web | last=Bradsher | first=Greg |website=U.S. National Archives |title=The Search for Hitler's Political Testament, Personal Will, and Marriage Certificate | year=2016 | accessdate=20 June 2022 | url=https://text-message.blogs.archives.gov/2016/01/05/the-search-for-hitlers-political-testament-personal-will-and-marriage-certificate-part-i/}}
  • {{cite news|last1=Brown|first1=Jonathan|first2=Oliver|last2=Duff|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/the-black-sheep-of-the-family-the-rise-and-fall-of-hitlers-scouse-nephew-5339313.html|title=The black sheep of the family? The rise and fall of Hitler's scouse nephew"| website=Independent | year=August 17, 2006|accessdate=February 24, 2025}}
  • {{cite book |last=Eckert |first=Astrid M. |year=2012 |title=The Struggle for the Files. The Western Allies and the Return of German Archives after the Second World War |publisher=Cambridge University Press |pages=46–47 |isbn=978-0521880183}}
  • {{cite book |last=Evans |first=Richard J. |author-link=Richard J. Evans |year=2008 |title=The Third Reich at War |publisher=Penguin Group |location=New York |isbn=978-0-14-311671-4}}
  • {{cite book|last1=Hillmann|first1=Jörg|last2=Zimmermann|first2=John|year=2014|orig-year=2002|title=Kriegsende 1945 in Deutschland|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bpoYCgAAQBAJ|language=de|location=Munich|publication-date=2014|publisher=Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG|page=47|chapter=Die »Reichsregierung« in Flensburg|trans-chapter=The "Government" in Flensburg|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bpoYCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA35|isbn=9783486833324}}
  • {{citation |mode=cs1 |last=Hitler |first=Adolf |year=1945a|title=My Private Will and Testament|title-link=wikisource:My Private Will and Testament}}
  • {{citation |mode=cs1 |last=Hitler |first=Adolf |year=1945b|title=My Political Testament|title-link=wikisource:My Political Testament}}
  • {{cite book | last=International Military Tribunal | year=2019 | orig-year=1946 | title=Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression | volume=VI | place=Washington D.C. | publisher=United States Government Printing Office |isbn=978-1-64594-028-9}}
  • {{cite book |last=Joachimsthaler |first=Anton |url=https://archive.org/details/lastdaysofhitler0000joac_o3a8/ |title=The Last Days of Hitler: The Legends, The Evidence, The Truth |publisher=Brockhampton Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-1-86019-902-8 |location=London |language=en |translator=Helmut Bölger |author-link=Anton Joachimsthaler |orig-year=1995}}
  • {{cite book|last=Kershaw|first=Ian|title=Hitler, 1936–1945: Nemesis|year=2001|location=New York | publisher=W. W. Norton & Company | isbn=978-0-39304-994-7}}
  • {{cite book |last=Kershaw |first=Ian |title=Hitler: A Biography |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |location=New York |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-393-06757-6}}
  • {{cite book | last = Lang | first = Jochen von | title = The Secretary. Martin Bormann: The Man Who Manipulated Hitler | url = https://archive.org/details/secretarymartinb00lang | url-access = registration | year = 1979 | publisher = Random House | location = New York | isbn = 978-0-394-50321-9 }}
  • {{cite news|last=Maye|first=Brian | url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/an-irishman-s-diary-on-bridget-dowling-hitler-s-sister-in-law-1.4085596|title=An Irishman’s Diary on Bridget Dowling, Hitler’s sister-in-law|publisher=The Irish Times|date=November 18, 2019|accessdate=February 2, 2025}}
  • {{cite book | last=McDonough | first=Frank | year=2021 | title=The Hitler Years: Disaster, 1940–1945| place=New York | publisher=St. Martin's Press | isbn= 978-1-25027-512-7}}
  • {{cite book | last = Miller | first = Michael | year = 2006 | title = Leaders of the SS and German Police, Vol. 1 | publisher = R. James Bender | location = San Jose, CA | isbn = 978-93-297-0037-2 }}
  • {{cite book|last=Mitchell|first=Otis C.|title=Hitler's Stormtroopers and the Attack on the German Republic, 1919–1933 |year=2013|location=Jefferson, NC and London | publisher=McFarland | isbn=9780-7-8647-729-6}}
  • {{cite journal|last=Nilsson|first=Michael|title=Constructing a Pseudo-Hitler? The question of the authenticity of Hitlers politisches Testament|journal=European Review of History: Revue européenne d'histoire | volume=26 | issue=5 | year=2018 |pages=871–891|doi=10.1080/13507486.2018.1532983|s2cid=149705671 |doi-access=free}}
  • {{cite web |title=NS-Archiv: Adolf Hitler, Die Testamente |website=NS-Archiv |url=http://www.ns-archiv.de/personen/hitler/testament/index.php |language=de |ref={{sfnref|NS-Archiv}} |access-date=5 June 2019}}—The German version of the testament includes the fifteen other names only noted as "Here follow fifteen others" in the English translation published by the U.S. Government.
  • {{cite book | last = O'Donnell | first = James Preston | author-link = James P. O'Donnell | year = 1978 | title = The Bunker: The History of the Reich Chancellery Group | publisher = Houghton Mifflin | location = Boston | isbn = 978-0-395-25719-7 }}
  • {{cite news|author=Time | url=https://time.com/archive/6622086/germany-among-the-souvenirs/|title=GERMANY: Among the Souvenirs|publisher=Time|date=April 5, 1954|accessdate=April 10, 2025|ref={{sfnRef|Time 1954, "Among the Souvernirs"}} }}
  • {{cite news|author=Time | url=https://time.com/archive/6838864/west-germany-bidding-for-adolf/|title=WEST GERMANY: Bidding for Adolf |publisher=Time Magazine | date=April 19, 1971 |accessdate=March 4, 2025 |ref={{sfnRef|Time, 1971}} }}
  • {{cite book | last = Whiting | first = Charles | author-link = Charles Whiting | title = The Hunt for Martin Bormann: The Truth | year = 1996 | orig-year = 1973 | publisher = Pen & Sword | location = London | isbn = 0-85052-527-6}}

{{refend}}

External links

  • [http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/h-death.htm The Death of Hitler] explains why Hitler had fallen out with Goering.
  • [https://archive.today/20160922215647/https://research.archives.gov/id/6883511 Documents in the National Archives]
  • [https://www.eisenhowerlibrary.gov/sites/default/files/research/online-documents/holocaust/hitler-will-general-intelligence.pdf The Discovery of Hitler's Wills]

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