Throughout the period of the Third Reich the subject of Eva Braun and her relationship with Adolf Hitler, indeed her very existence, for the most part, remained secret. With the exception of the Führer’s ‘inner circle’, to the outside world she was simply another of Hitler’s secretaries. The subject of politicians maintaining mistresses is certainly nothing new; neither are their attempts to maintain secrecy or denial in such matters. Nonetheless the Führer’s reputation had to be preserved; he had no wish to see his personal life investigated. When in the company of others, Hitler and Eva maintained certain formalities so as not to reveal their true relationship. In reality, all members of Hitler’s ‘inner circle’ knew the truth, but none of these ever broached the subject in their presence. Not until after 1945 would the secret of their long love affair be revealed to the world.
Consequently it is entirely reasonable to assume that postcards depicting Eva Braun were never produced. To have done so would have given her status; this would have led to questions, explanations and all manner of unnecessary complications which in the end might have tarnished the Führer’s image. Few photographs exist showing Eva Braun and Adolf Hitler together, those that do exist are generally privately taken examples and these were certainly not for public scrutiny. On those rare occasions that Eva Braun does appear in official group photographs, she is presented as, and perceived to be just another member of the Führer’s staff.
Eva Anna Paula Braun was born in Munich on 6 February 1912. Eva was the second of three daughters born to Freidrich ‘Fritz’ Braun, a schoolteacher, and his wife Franziska, known as ‘Fanny’. As a child Eva showed little interest in schoolwork but was always very keen on sports. In late 1928, when almost fifteen and by sheer coincidence, Eva attended a convent school at Simbach am Inn, (the River Inn forms a natural border between Germany and Austria) Simbach looks directly across the bridge connecting two countries towards Braunau am Inn, the birthplace of Adolf Hitler on the Austrian side.
Having spent a year at Simbach studying book-keeping and economics, Eva returned to Munich where she found employment for a short time as a doctor’s receptionist. In late 1930 she answered an advert in a newspaper for a job as an assistant in a photographic studio. Heinrich Hoffmann, already Hitler’s official photographer, gave Eva the job. Within a few weeks of working at the studio Eva met Adolf Hitler for the first time, on that occasion he was introduced to her as Herr Wolf. This was an alias used by Hitler during the early days; he had used the name years before around Berchtesgaden when banned from public speaking in an effort to keep his whereabouts secret.
There was an immediate attraction on both sides. Eva and Adolf began to meet and many letters were exchanged between them. Later, in 1932, as the demands of politics took up more and more of his time, Eva saw much less of Hitler. In November that year, during a spell of depression, Eva attempted suicide using her father’s pistol. The attempt failed but immediately brought Hitler to her bedside in a Munich clinic. Eva later tried to dismiss the event as nothing more than an accident while examining the gun.
When Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, Eva became a more frequent visitor to the Obersalzberg, under the guise of just another of the Führer’s secretaries. Eva’s parents, who it must be said Hitler always treated with the utmost respect, were opposed to the relationship on both personal and political grounds from the start. However, Hitler’s steadily growing importance then his becoming Chancellor would eventually see this initial reluctance replaced with a much higher level of acceptance as Fritz and Fanny Braun became regular visitors at the Berghof. Hitler’s half-sister Angela, had been installed as housekeeper at Haus Wachenfeld in 1928, however, she and Eva did not see eye to eye and Angela finally left in 1936. Eva, a girl who demanded nothing of Hitler other than his attention and affection, who became melancholic during his absences, then assumed the role of housekeeper on the Obersalzberg having moved into the Berghof soon after Angela’s departure.
Eva’s only vice was something that Hitler detested, smoking, somehow she managed to keep this a secret from him, or, he pretended never to know. Always a keen sportswoman, Eva enjoyed gymnastics, swimming, climbing and skiing which she did on the Obersalzberg and in the surrounding area. The Königssee was a favourite venue for activities like swimming and picnics. Eva maintained a keen interest in photography, something she had picked up while working for Hoffmann. Shopping was something she delighted in, particularly clothes; as a result she was probably the most fashionably dressed woman in the area. It is said she might change clothes as many as two or three times a day. Eva’s closest friends on the Obersalzberg were her younger sister Gretel, her old school friend Herta Schneider (née Ostermeyer), Margerethe Speer, and Gerda Bormann; all spent much time in each others company. Her cousin, Gertrude Weisker also visited occasionally. Eva’s family and friends were frequent visitors at the Berghof, and, during Hitler’s absences, they often held parties where Eva took advantage of these rare opportunities to indulge her love of dancing. Her elder sister Ilse, was not a frequent visitor to the Obersalzberg. Ilse had no interest in politics and consequently spent little time at the Berghof.
While totally uninterested in politics Eva had total trust in Hitler’s abilities. The Führer, it must be said, showed great affection for Eva during his many long absences through the war by way of daily telephone calls. Those who knew Eva through these years said she lost neither her naturalness nor her warm personality. Loyal to the last, and against the Führer’s wishes, Eva left the relative safety of the Berghof and travelled to Berlin to be with Hitler at the end, arriving there on 15 April. There, in the Führer bunker beneath the crumbling city, the man to whom she had devoted her life finally married her in recognition of that devotion and loyalty on 29 April 1945. Joseph Goebbels and Martin Bormann acted as witnesses at the short civil ceremony presided over by Walther Wagner, a minor official from the Propaganda Ministry.