World War II: Interrogation Report and Diary of Margarete Himmler, Wife of Heinrich Himmler

Description

Margarete Himmler, born Margarete Boden in 1893, is often referred to as Marga Himmler. She was the spouse of Heinrich Himmler, who held the title of Reichsführer-SS. Their marriage took place in 1928.

Heinrich Himmler, who lived from 1900 until 1945, was appointed by Adolf Hitler in 1929 to be the Reichsführer-SS of the Nazi party. His responsibilities included managing the extensive ideological and bureaucratic structures of the Third Reich.

During World War II, Himmler was a prominent figure in Germany, being second only to Hitler in power. He played a key role in formulating, supervising, and implementing the “Final Solution,” which was the Nazi regime’s systematic plan for the extermination of Jews across Europe. Additionally, Himmler oversaw the concentration camps operated by the Nazis and was responsible for the Einsatzgruppen, which were mobile killing units.

By April of 1945, Himmler had come to the grim realization that Germany was on the brink of defeat in the war. In an attempt to seek peace with the Allies without Hitler’s approval, he sought to negotiate terms. However, once Hitler discovered Himmler’s actions in that same month, he stripped him of all his official roles and issued orders for his arrest. Following this, Himmler tried to escape but was apprehended by Soviet forces on May 20, 1945, in Lower Saxony. He was subsequently handed over to British authorities, to whom he admitted his true identity. During a body search on May 23, 1945, Himmler took his own life by biting down on a cyanide capsule concealed in his mouth.

This compilation features:

The Interrogation of Margarete Himmler conducted on September 26, 1946, by the Office of the U.S. Chief of Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality.

Included is a transcript of her interrogation conducted in English on September 26, 1945, in Nuremberg, by the Interrogation Division of the U.S. Chief of Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality (OCCPAC). During this questioning, she was asked about her husband’s habit of carrying suicide pills and her awareness of his involvement in the concentration camp system. The Margarete Himmler Diary, covering the years 1937 to 1945, consists of 169 pages filled with personal handwritten entries that are presented in both German and their English translation.

This diary includes a total of 169 pages, which feature detailed handwritten notes and reflections written by Margarete Himmler. The content is available in two languages: the original German text and its corresponding English translation, allowing for a broader audience to engage with her thoughts and experiences during this tumultuous period in history.