Interview with Hitler's sister on 12th July 1945

Original copy of this document was on display at: -----

The Eisenhower Library website, but as of 2010 it has now been removed.

The original was displayed on the above website as a three page image and not as a document. It had originally (in 1945) been produced on a low quality typewriter, with many lines out of alignment and of variable print quality. This transcription has been done to aid legibility and make the whole document searchable and of a file size quick to transmit over the Internet.

The transcription has been done using the original spelling and document formatting. Comments on the contents of this document are shown in italics.

This document has very little to do with the story of Oradour, I am showing it and 1946 interview just for general interest.

The whole document carries the original security marking of: Restricted

Headquarters 101^st Airborne Division.

101^st CIS Detachment

APO 472, U.S. Army

12 July 1945 (this is the normal date order for documents produced within the US military)

Memorandum for the Officer in Charge.

Subject: Interrogation of Frau Paula Wolff (Frl. Paula Hitler) (her name was spelled Wolf in the interview of 5^th June 1946)

I was born at the estate of my father in Hartfeld, Austria, in 1896. My father was 60 years old at the time of my birth. He died when I was 6. I know nothing of my father's family. My brother and I spent little of our time together, as he was 7 years older. He attended the Realschule in Styria and spent only his vacations at home. The death of my mother left a deep impression on Adolf and myself. We were both very much attached to her. Our mother dies in 1907 and Adolf never returned home after that.

Since I was so much younger than my brother he never considered me a playmate. He played a leading role among his early companions. His was favourite game was cops and robbers, and that sort of thing. He had a lot of companions. I could not say what took place in their games, as I was never present. Adolf as a child always came home too late. He got a spanking every night for not coming home on time.

After my brother finished school he went to Vienna. He wanted to go to the Academy and become a painter, but nothing came of it. My mother was very sick at the time. She was very attached to Adolf and wanted him to stay home. That's why he stayed. He left the house after her death in 1907. I never saw him from 1908 until 1921. I have no idea what he did at this time. I did not even know if he was still alive.

He first visited me in 1921. I told him that it would have been much easier for me if I had had a brother. He said: "I had nothing myself. How could I have helped you? I did not let you know about myself because I could not have helped you." Since my father was an official we received a pension of 50 Kronen. This should have been divide between Adolf and myself. I could have done nothing with 25 Kronen. My guardian knew that Adolf supported himself in Vienna as a labourer. Adolf was interviewed and renounced his half in my favour. Since I attended the Higher Girls' School the money came in handy. I wrote him a letter in 1910 or 1911, but he never answered.

I never had any particularly artistic interests. I could draw rather well and learned easily. My brother was very good in some subjects and very weak in others. He was the weakest in mathematics and, as far as I can remember, in physics, also his failure in mathematics worried my mother. He loved music. He preferred Wagner even then. Wagner was always his favourite.

My brother came to Vienna in 1921 for the express purpose of seeing me. I did not recognise him at first when he walked into the house. I was so surprised that I could only stare at him. It was if a brother had fallen from heaven. I was already used to being alone in this world. He was very charming at the time. What made the biggest impression on me was the fact he went shopping with me. Every woman loves to shop.

I did not see him regularly. About a year later he visited me again. We went to our parents' grave near Linz. He wanted to go there. Then we separated, he going to Munich, and I go to Linz. I visited him in Munich in 1923. This was before 9 November (the date of the Beer Hall Putsch). He still looked the same to me. His political activities had not changed him. The next time I saw him was in the Dirsch Strasse in Munich. The only person that I met amongst his political friends was Schwarz, treasurer of the party. The next time I saw him was on the Nuremberg Party Day. I received my tickets like any other person.

(At this point the interrogator said: "We found some of your brother's letters to you. They are very short. A lady who worked with him once said that he had absolutely no family sense.") There is something to that. I think he inherited that from our father. He did not care for our relatives either. Only the relatives on our mother's side were close to use. The Schmieds and the Koppensteins are our dear relatives, especially a cousin Schmied who married a Koppenstein. I know no one of my father's family. My sister Angela and I often said: "Father must have some relatives, but we don’t even know them." I myself have a family sense. I like my relatives from the Waldviertel, the Schmieds and the Koppensteins. I usually wrote my brother a birthday letter, and then he wrote a short note, and sent a package. This would contain Spanish ham, flour, sugar, or something like that that had been given to him for his birthday.

I did not see my half-sister Mrs. Angela Hamitzson very often. She lived in Dresden. She had her husband and children and was happily married. I spent the last few days before the arrival of the Americans with her, as she was also in the Berchtesgadener Hof.

During the party day in Nuremberg my brother received me in his hotel the Deutscher Hof. He wrote me very rarely, as he was "writing lazy". He wrote only a few words, and only once a year.

From 1929 on I saw him once a year until 1941. We met once in Munich, Once in Berlin, and once in Vienna. I met him in Vienna after 1938. His rapid rise in the world worried me. I must honestly confess that I would have preferred it if he had followed his original ambition and become an architect. (The interrogator interrupted to say that this was the most classical statement that she would ever say.) It would have saved the world a lot of worries.

My brother did not live on a special diet in his youth. Our mother would never have permitted that. He never cared much about meat. I suppose that later he became a vegetarian because of his stomach ailment.

The first time that my brother suggested my changing my name was at the Olympic Games in Garmisch. He wanted me to live under the name of "Wolff", and maintain the strictest incognito. That was sufficient for me. From then on I kept this name. I added the "Mrs." as I thought that less conspicuous. I was ordered to remain incognito also when I was moved from my home in Austria to the Berchtesgadener Hof.

I lost my job in a Viennese insurance company in 1930 when it became known who my brother was. From that time until the Anschluss he gave me a monthly pension of 250 Schillings. After the Anschluss he gave me 250 marks a month.

In 1940 I went to Berlin to see my brother. I was never under the observation of the Sicherheitsdienst. I could always move about freely. The criminal police once came to check on all the guests when I lived in a hotel in Munich during Mussolini's visit. Even they did not know who "Frau Wolff" was.

I am a Catholic, and the church is my biggest outside interest. My brother was also Catholic, and I don't believe that he ever left the church. I don't know for sure.

For the last few years I was employed as a typist in a hospital. My brother knew about it. He fully agreed that I should employ myself. I had to give it up later on, as it was too much for my health.

My coming to Berchtesgaden was very strange. I was in my house in Lower Austria between Vienna and Linz. I wanted to remain at home. It is very important that someone keep the vegetable garden in order, and see that everything thrives. One morning in the middle of April of this year a passenger car stood before the door. A driver entered the house and told me that he had the task of bringing me to the Obersalzberg. We were supposed to leave in two hours. I was amazed, since I had made no preparations. I said that under no circumstances could I leave in two hours. Then we agreed to drive away the next morning. I don't know who the driver was. I think the car was a Mercedes. There was also a second driver in the car. (The interrogator, who believes that the trip was arranged by Martin Borman and that Miss. Hitler was in grave danger of being killed, then asked: "That was done by Martin Borman?") I don't know about that. I knew Borman only slightly. When we were halfway to Berchtesgaden the one driver said to me that they had not reckoned on my coming along. I said: "Why did you not tell me that before? Then I would not have come along." The driver was not armed, and I have forgotten how he looked.

I saw Eva Braun only once. That was in 1934 in Nuremberg! My brother never discussed the subject with me. I have never visited my brother's place in Obersalzburg, either with him or now that the Americans are here. I was never invited.

When I arrived at the Dietrich Eckart Hutte, where Fäber of the Berchtesgadener Hof put me, no one knew who I was. I took my meals in my room, and did not talk to the people. I knew no one there. At present we are learning English. I still have to go over my vocabulary for today. I studied English at school, but have unfortunately forgotten most of it.

The personal fate of my brother affected me very much. He was still my brother, no matter what happened. His end brought unspeakable sorrow to me, as his sister. (At this point Miss. Hitler burst into tears, and the interrogation was ended.)

---------------------------

Conclusion of statement.

Reviewed: Francis E. Martini

Special Agent, CIC

Commander.

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