Braun, Eva

1912–1945

   Eva Braun was HITLER’s mistress from 1932 until their suicide. Hitler had had an ascetic image of himself built up by Nazi propaganda and the great demand that he made of his mistress was that she remain discreet and self-effacing. She met Hitler shortly after the death of his beloved niece, when Eva was working as an assistant to Hoffmann, Hitler’s staff photographer. Hitler soon installed her in his house but very few people knew of her existence and it was only towards the end of the war that she was invited to attend receptions— and then only because her sister had married General Fegelein, HIMMLER’s representative with Hitler. She was very jealous of Hitler and on two known occasions, November 1932 and May 1935, attempted to commit suicide because of other women, but during the war she had no reason to get jealous because although Hitler did not see much of her he did not have enough time to see other women. Braun came to Berlin to be with Hitler during his last days and as a sign of gratitude for her devotion and loyalty to him he married her between 0100 and 0300 on 29 April. He said she was ‘the woman who after many years of true friendship came of her own free will to this city, already almost besieged, to share my fate.’ They discussed suicide for some time and died together on 30 April 1945.