Eva Braun - The Secret Life of Adolf Hitler's Girlfriend | Part 1 | Free Documentary History

[Music] the berghoff Hitler's Alpine Refuge near bashta's Garden this is where Adolf Hitler like to retire from the public with a woman by his side Ava Brown was Hitler's Lover he kept their relationship a secret from the German people private film recordings show Ava her sister and architect Albert schmann's wife picking flowers to this day she is considered a non-political naive adjunct of the mass murderer but who was this blonde who is also called Satan's bride [Music] blonde and attractive woman she was very much into sports on photographs she appeared to be very joyful and Lively during the more than 13 years of their relationship this girl from a lower middle class family turned into the uncompromising companion of the dictator underneath this often fake facade there was a very determined woman who tried to achieve her goals with an incredible toughness and consistency it showed already quite early and she also stressed it to Hitler that she would take things to the last consequence even to her death her biographer wrote that Ava Brown was vain caught between power and impotence and by no means a victim she earned her name in history even though it's a dubious one [Music] one of the few film recordings that show Adolf Hitler together with his lover on the Terrace of the bear Cove was always depicted as a slightly dumb blonde and Hitler as the detached leader the inhuman monster who was unable to lead a regular private life [Music] but now we know that this wasn't the case at all both had a very close relationship for more than 13 years and he wasn't detached but rather tolerant and protective towards her everything that pointed to her existence was supposed to be destroyed after their joint suicide in 1945 but the private recordings of Ava Brown survived and allow insights into a rather strange relationship he seems like the complete opposite of her a bit uptight elderly tensed up at First Sight they don't seem to fit together at all but if you look behind the scenes you can see that they had a lot of common interests they both loved movies the Opera and Operetta and what really defined their relationship was their commitment towards each other total faith and loyalty in 1946 several hours of film recordings and dozens of photo albums were discovered at the Austrian home of an SS soldier who failed to destroy the materials those images allow a look behind the curtains that wasn't made public to the Germans during the Nazi period they give the illusion of a harmless idyllic life officially Hitler's lover was employed at the berghoff as his private secretary she and her younger sister Gretel were amateur film enthusiasts and documented many private moments for years the Punta film shower Afghan Norman Von Eva Brown colorful movie moments recorded by Ava Brown was mainly supposed to entertain Hitler's Inner Circle she called this film punching and Berg it was presumably recorded in the summer of 1937 16 millimeter Color Film had become available only recently and the brown sisters enjoyed spending their time with this unusual toy beside Ava Brown sat her friend Marion chernerman and the wife of Hitler's private secretary Gerda Borman they took turns in taking photos and filming each other Gretel Brown on the right was as enthusiastic about filming as her older sister [Music] Hitler was absent most of the time so bathing trips with family and friends were a welcome change Ava Brown especially liked to have her sports activities filmed thank you at Lake Steinberg Ava and Gradle were joined by their mother Francisca and father Friedrich Brown the Furious lover was 25 at that time little is known about Ava Brown's childhood and teenage years her photo albums provide an insight into her early life [Music] Ava Anna Paula Brown was born in Munich on February the 6th 1912 the second of three daughters to vocational school teacher Friedrich Brown her parents marriage had survived a crisis during the early 20s Ava grew up in a middle-class environment in Munich schwabing Ava Brown was also the center of attention during a bathing trip to vert Lake [Music] like every year the Brown's relatives from yena visited Munich and accompanied the family on their trips cousin Gertrude greatly enjoyed the time in the water Aunt Fanny and Uncle Fritz were very fond of 13 year old Ava gertroud kept their relationship with the Browns a secret for more than 60 years only her husband knew and forbade her to mention it not until the year 2000 did Gertrude weisger decide to provide information about her cousin Ava Brown we met with my aunt once or twice a week and went on a trip somewhere to kimsey or amazing sometimes Eva and her sisters joined us I enjoyed their visits a lot it was a great family time we went swimming or had coffee and cake and returned to our Quarters at my grandparents in the evening my father never joined us he made it quite clear that he didn't want any contact with Eva Ava's relationship with her parents wasn't as relaxed as the film's might suggest her best friend later reported that Ava spent most of her youth at her parents place as the atmosphere at Ava's home wasn't very pleasant Ava took courses in housekeeping bookkeeping and typewriting at a Catholic boarding school in 1929 she successfully applied for an apprenticeship at a well-known Munich Photoshop [Music] Heinrich Hoffman was the shrewd personal photographer to Adolf Hitler at one point he introduced his new worker to him this is our brave little foyline Ava apparently the two of them met frequently afterwards Hitler confided to his adjutant for love I keep a girl in Munich [Music] she was 17 and he was 40 years old this elderly Bachelor apparently was Smitten by this girl and she found him impressive as did many women at the time and so did her boss Heinrich Hoffman whose part in the initiation of this relationship stays rather inconclusive to this day [Music] Ava Brown's private photo albums shed a light on the true story in 1931 she was allowed to accompany Hitler to Ober Salzburg for the first time there were no photos showing the two of them together the blonde felt neglected she wanted him to commit himself to her totally even turning her father's gun on herself she was a rather joyful and naive 17 year old but at the same time she was quite extroverted she liked her picture taken and was by no means a shy girl their relationship grew closer Hitler told Heinrich Hoffman that he realized from the incident that the girl really was in love with him and that he felt the moral obligation to care for her Ava Brown's family was anything but euphoric about this relationship without a marriage certificate I was nine years old when I got wind of it by reading it in the papers I saw a photo of IFA and Hitler think he was on it too and the caption read if a teacher's daughter from Munich is Hitler's new favorite I showed it to my mother and she said don't talk about this it's not true this is nonsense and I don't want it mentioned again as Hitler made no attempts to legitimize that relationship Ava Brown was considered his mistress by her relatives photos of that time show her as a fashionable young woman who apparently was more interested in hairstyles and clothing than politics her cousin Gare trout recalls ish ounces this attractive young woman was 12 years my senior a very attractive woman and I admired her and her sisters she was well groomed with her long fingernails and I enjoyed meeting and spending time with them as a 10 year old I didn't wonder whether I wanted to become like her and didn't really think about it we fooled around like young girls do um she was very much into sports dived from the highest platforms whereas I only managed the lowest despite the feelings of my other relatives and the difference in age I idolized her as the athletic young woman she was the private film recordings from 1937 only showed the joyful side of the Furious lover who suffered from her relationship with Hitler it had only been two years since Ava Brown's emotional low fragments from her diary survived she noted on May the 10th 1935 Ms Hoffman told me both in a loving and tactless way that he now has a substitute for me device from what I know today I would say that she was pretty depressive and she always had to disguise this depression with sports with clothing she always needed to distract herself from her sorrows but nobody realized it in everyday life he should know me well enough to see that I would never put obstacles in his way if he should fall in love with another woman why should he care about What Becomes Of Me 23 year old Ava's manic depressive moods soon became apparent to her family her family knew I didn't but in retrospect all this changing of clothes was manic behavior she changed five or six times a day at the balkov where basically nobody was there to see and admire her she did it just for herself and she also found it hard to concentrate she used to ask me what are you doing and when I started telling her about mass or something she just replied never mind she quickly lost Focus deliberately or not she complained Hitler only needs me for certain things when the dictator was traveling she didn't hear from him Ava Brown attempted suicide for a second time on May the 28 1935 this time with sleeping pills she noted this time I'll take 35 pills I want to make absolutely sure only cool there is suicide attempt shows that this relationship at the time had evolved into something deeper it wasn't superficial anymore and something had gone wrong foreign he could have been appalled by it and could have tried to get rid of her but instead he saw it as a proof of her total commitment and loyalty which was exactly what he expected from his disciples loyalty until death and she was ready to give and live it Ava's parents reproached her constantly and made it impossible for her to remain at their home finally she moved to a house in the elegant District of borgenhausen which Heinrich Hoffman bought by order of the poorer Hitler's private apartment was close by eventually she was allowed to quit her job at the Photoshop for appearance his sake her sister Gretel also moved to the small house with a garden in 1938 Ava Brown became its official owner [Music] 's house become much I didn't know who had given her the house all I knew was that she and krito moved out of their former home and moved there now the they were old enough to do so after all but I didn't know anything else about that house that it was a present of Hitler's nobody ever talked about it lavish parties were frequently held at the house but the mood was anything but festive as Ava's father didn't want to accept the disgrace that she was bringing upon the family her biographer doubts The credibility of Friedrich Brown's latest statement that he had written a letter to Hitler ordering his daughter to return to the family home is here to date it was assumed that her father was against national socialism but the questioning he had to go through after 1945 showed that he apparently believed in the fuhrer until the end foreign thank you there was no falling out with the family on the contrary Ava's parents were now also welcome guests at obaselsberg like their daughter they accepted the fact that Hitler wouldn't marry his life partner apparently Francisca Brown convinced her husband that resisting this relationship especially as it was quite persistent would be futile any daughter can get her husband but someone like Hitler that was something different [Music] Ava Brown used uncharacteristic toughness and well-aimed intrigues to drive possible Rivals for Hitler's favor away from obazalsberg her position there became Undisputed over the years I'm the lover of Germany's and the world's greatest man she allegedly once said officially there was no talk of any woman at Hitler's side the dictator said My bride is Germany Nazi propaganda claimed that the fura had no private life he served the German people day and night film and photography had become Ava Brown's biggest passions she loved to Stage her lover on the Berghoff's Terrace the film seemed to show the first transported to another world distance from his people welcoming friends and political companions up there some of her photo spread survived uncensored in her private albums showing Ava Brown's professional work [Music] it deserve firmer on foreign weren't just of a private nature she still worked for Henry Hoffmann and also created those Works to sell them and she sometimes got big sums of money for them one single photo for twenty thousand Reich marks for example she was part of the propaganda Machinery part of Hoffman's propaganda Department who staged the fuhrer's private appearances she presented him as a caring family man a child loving Patron Patron this doesn't really fit with the perception people used to have of her that she made those photos only because she dreamed of a family life with Hitler no she used those photos for business and Hitler was well aware of that it was part of the plan among the most welcomed guests at the bear Cove were Hitler's favorite architect Albert and Joachim Von rivencrop Who was appointed foreign minister in 1938 Heinrich Hoffman and his wife were also often present Hitler Felicity in regards to the selection of people around him at the balcoff Hitler mainly relied on Heinrich Hoffmann and IFA Brahm this Entourage basically was his emotional Foundation his private life took place in the surrounding of these people whereas his biological family was kept apart from 1936 they never visited the balkov he met with them separately he selected his own replacement family which consisted of the spares the bormans his doctors families the Hoffmans and if are brown and her family this circle was so important to him that he often retreated to the balkov before making important political decisions among this familiar surroundings [Music] expectations to the berkov were highly coveted among the Nazi notables even though life up there appeared to be quite stuffy some of the guests claimed that this Petty Bourgeois idil felt intoxicating to them All That Remains of the social life on Albert Salzburg are memories of a strange emptiness Albert wrote later Hitler hardly ever mentioned the Jews his political opponents or even the necessity of building concentration camps I suppose this wasn't intentional but rather due to the banal nature of the conversation those people of the Inner Circle were aware of Hitler's special living arrangements after a while they took for granted that Ava Brown played the part of the lady of the house on such occasions [Music] she wasn't a political person she hardly ever tried to influence Hitler but of course people talked about politics at the balkov in the women's presence as well they weren't involved in the decision-making or military planning but there were discussions about how to proceed with Austria after the so-called annexation for example Hitler's secretary Martin Borman was also part of the Inner Circle he made sure that all the neighbors disappeared from around the bear cough and supervised its transformation to a secure restricted area for the fura Hitler liked to sleep long and usually ate lunch at three o'clock in the afternoon this was often followed by a long walk with his guests this time ribbon trop appears to be Hitler's preferred conversation partner several delicate political matters were discussed confidentially the foreign minister was a loyal henchman to the dictator implicitly supporting his plans for war [Music] the destination was always the same the scenic Outpost at Moore's Lana Koff when the weather is good there's a superb view towards Salzburg from there nearby Borman had a tea house built for Hitler Albert bear later recalled at the coffee table Hitler often liked to lose himself in Endless monologues Ava Brown filmed a talk with National Youth leader baldua Von shiraj from a respectful distance was one of the most frequent visitors he moved with his family to a house close to the berghoff in 1938 and was good friends with Ava Brown he claimed after 1945 that she took advantage of her position like all other prominent collaborators of Hitler [Music] only few resisted The Temptations of being in his Entourage Hitler didn't really resist this development shper recalled later the specific circumstances of his style of leadership led him to increasing loneliness spare believed according to him Hitler was unable to form normal human relationships he continued in hundreds of talks he covered topics like fashion dog breeding theater and film operator and its Stars sometimes Hitler fell asleep during his own monologues [Music] once in a while the fura's lover took exceptional photos that would never have been published during his lifetime they document their special relationship Ava Brown enjoyed playing the hostess who calls the tune according to her standing building the kale Stein house was the highlight of borman's building work at Ober Salzburg in order that the fura and his Entourage could reach its vantage point at 1800 meters a road and an elevator needed to be cut into the Mountain's Rock but Hitler rarely appeared it is said that he suffered from vertigo but Ava Brown enjoyed coming there he seemed much more playful when the dictator wasn't around [Music] a series of photos shows Hitler and Ava Brown at the kale Stein house with McDuck Goebbels the propaganda Minister's Wife by his side she had fled to the bear Cove with her children and played her part as the betrayed and indignant wife she complained to the fura that her husband was having an affair with Czech actress leader barova and wanted to establish a menage Artois Hitler was enraged and ordered Joseph Goebbels to come to the obazalsburg it's not clear if these film recordings of Ava Brown Show goebbel's arrival that day or during another visit the fura's word of command forced Goebbels to separate from his lover and Hitler forbade his propaganda Minister any further contact with the actress the marriage with Magda had to be maintained due to reasons of State Goebbels obeyed the order this photo of the 1938 New Year party documents The Furs and Ava Brown's quasi-marital relationship Hitler the professed vegetarian got his own menu which Ava Brown put into her photo album the results the dictator got during the traditional lead pouring are not documented [Music] 1939 was the turning point in Hitler's rule he had achieved one success after another re-armed Germany Incorporated the Tsar region the sudeten land and the whole of Austria into the Third Reich even his opponents agreed that he would have been the greatest German since Bismarck if he had died at that point but the dictator aimed for war and therefore this moment marked the beginning of his demise even though Ava Brown was a good skier Hitler didn't like her to ski as he was afraid of her being injured but once when the dictator was away from Ober Salzburg he allowed her to go skiing with Albert spare for eight days in Austria shper later remembered that she danced with young officers until the early morning without being recognized according to spare they both were United in their resentment of Martin Borman due to his arrogant and crude way of abusing nature and cheating on his wife during Easter time in 1939 Ava Brown filmed the many children of shper and Borman on their hunt for Easter eggs the children lived secluded from the world on obaselsberg it's not known if Ava Brown wished to have children there were rumors that she once had an abortion in Munich but there's no proof of that spear had Sympathy for the unfortunate woman according to him Hitler once said in her presence very intelligent men should choose a primitive and simple-minded wife and imagine I had a wife who meddled in my Affairs I want peace and quiet in my spare time meanwhile the dictator preferred to rule Nazi Germany from the berghoff there he developed crucial political and Military plans issued laws and decrees one of the reasons may have been his firmer relationship with Ava Brown who always happened to be at obazarsberg when Hitler was there with his Entourage an adjutant later recalled that it became more and more difficult to obtain decisions from the head of state it was often impossible even for representatives from the party and the government to reach Hitler when he was at over Salzburg only cultural events seem to be able to lure artist monkei Hitler from his Command Center at Ober Salzburg in June 1939 he spontaneously traveled to Vienna to attend the 75th birthday of composer Richard Strauss [Music] on his way back to bashta's Garden the fura visited places where he spent his childhood Ava Brown filmed his arrival at Fishel harm primary school near Linds in his book Mein Kampf Hitler described himself as a little ringleader when the boys of the village played cops and robbers his class teacher later remembered a skinny pale boy who despised learning neglected his talents and wasn't able to follow School discipline [Music] back at the bear Cove the dictator planned the imminent military campaign against Poland in the meantime the Brown family decided to go on an unusual Cruise mother Francesca was filmed during her visit to a travel agents where she booked a trip to Scandinavia for her and her daughters Ava and Gretel Friedrich Brown wasn't part of the tour party [Music] the little tour group arrived in Hamburg shortly thereafter to board the cruise ship Milwaukee the Browns with Ava behind the camera crossed the harbor on a launch [Music] the Milwaukee was operated by the National Socialist organization strength through joy to provide holiday cruises for ordinary National comrades the former North Atlantic passenger steamer built in 1929 in Hamburg had room for 600 guests and was very popular as a cruise ship its destination this time the Norwegian fjords Ava Brown made a well-groomed appearance on board her suits were made by high-class Berlin Taylors still Albert Speer described her in his Memoirs as modestly and unobtrusively dressed and that she wore notably cheap jewelry the first class passengers passed their time at the pool frequently in the camera's Focus was great or the younger sister a sure Excursion in Northern Norway [Music] of course the locals didn't know that the lover of Nazi Germany's dictator was one of the tourists [Music] foreign Publications frequently wrote that Hitler was liaised with a certain AV brown but they apparently lacked reliable information journalist Robert ant wrote in a booklet entitled the women in Hitler's life that was published in New York in 1944 AV Brown is hardly the typical Aryan glamor girl she may be blonde and blue-eyed but she is Stout and ungainly in her appearance she resembles the image of a German middle-class house Frau rather than first lady of the rice it hasn't always been the conservative housewife she is now in the early days of her relationship with Hitler she was known for the drink she served the Nazis and even the fura she also had a talent for producing perfumes and it is rumored that she mixed erotic scents to attract the fura [Music] obviously this description was totally fabricated and Nazi censorship made sure that it wasn't published in Germany Gradle relaxed at the pool in her fashionable two-piece swimsuit she simply adapted to the needs of her older sister acting as companion and chaperone thank you another highlight of the cruise Lobster was served on deck at lunchtime foreign [Music] the Browns wallowed in luxury while their daughter's partner at home Was preparing to plunge Europe into another War on June the 17th 1939 Hitler welcomed the special Emissary of the Saudi Arabian king for a meeting during diplomatic meetings Ava Brown was usually confined to her Chambers she was even ordered to stay in her rooms when important party officials came to the berghoff believed that Hitler considered her social acceptability to be limited [Music] on such occasions even the big reception hall was out of bounds for Hitler's lover when the prominent guests stayed longer she even had to move to the house of the unpopular Martin Borman nearby sometimes she succeeded in filming scenes like these from a first floor window Hitler awaits a visitor on the Berghoff's stairs a guard of Honor from the SS gets in position [Music] Hitler was convinced during his rise to power that Germany's former greatness could only be achieved by another War where countries were conquered of course this would need to be done by force there would be war and he wanted to start it when he was still physically fit to lead it the thought of sickness or an early death made him expedite his plans for war he wanted to start it sooner rather than later Hitler didn't consider War as something shameful or that should be avoided Poland would be his first casualty on August 12 1939 Ava Brown had to disappear from the scene once more from a safe distance she filmed a unit of the leipstand data SS that were lined up for the reception of Italy's foreign minister count Tiano who had come to discuss Italy entering the war with Hitler it isn't clear if Heinrich Hoffman shot this close-up photo of the visitor Ava Brown's note in her photo album reads there's something forbidden up there me Hitler informed his ally about his decision to attack Poland Ava Brown called these snapshots of the guest of state's departure departure viewed from the hotel room's perspective during that time Ava Brown was able to film SS Chief Heinrich Himmler with his associates Reinhardt heydrich and Carl volv on The Bear Cove Terrace on several occasions the dictator discussed the details of War Terror and mass murder with his henchmen at Ober Salzburg foreign minister Joachim Von riventrop also took part in Hitler's talks about his War plans as peace in Europe hung by a thread the fura isolated himself from the ministerial bureaucracy and assembled his confidants the dictator planned a special coup ribbon trop was supposed to travel to Moscow in order to sign a non-aggression pact with Stalin Heinrich Himmler and his enforcer Reinhardt heydrich meticulously prepared the brutal oppression of Poland they presented the details during their visit at the berghoff so-called einzatz tropen special social action squads derived from police and security forces were to liquidate the Polish ruling classes as Hitler intended to occupy the country permanently on August 23 1939 Hitler nervously awaited positive news from Moscow Ava Brown's presence was permitted that day she filmed and took photos the caption of her professional photo documentation reads then ribbon trop traveled to Moscow when ribbon trop confirmed The Pact with the Devil the dictator rejoiced this will hit like a bomb other photos show Hitler Borman and Goebbels as the news was spread officially Ava Brown's comment Hitler listens to the news on the radio still Poland refuses to negotiate Ava Brown's biographer is certain that the women were well aware of the historical significance of those dramatic days at the berghoff [Music] shortly before Stalin signed the non-aggression pact shows how engross those men around Hitler were how much the inner circle with goobers and spare were involved in the political events at that time photographed that tense situation at the belkhof when rimtop was in Moscow and the signing was imminent it also shows that the women were inaugurated as well they spent the evenings and weekends together for weeks and of course they talked about these events as they were crucial for them too Hitler didn't differentiate between private and political life for him it was all the same pimla's murder squads were given free reign in the case of armed conflict with Poland because the foreign Minister's agreement with Moscow guaranteed that Stalin's Red Army wouldn't intervene but only occupy and Annex the eastern part of Poland so obers outsberg played a crucial part on the path to the Second World War all attempts to stop Hitler on his way to destruction were doomed to fail [Music] nine days later the dictator declared war on Poland Ava Brown supposedly cried when he proclaimed at the reichstag now more than ever my life belongs to my people I want nothing more than to be the first soldier of the German Reich I have put on the uniform again that was always my most sacred cherished possession I will only take it off after our Victory or I will not live to see the end On That September the 1st 1939 Ava Brown supposedly told her older sister ilza This Means War he'll leave and what will become of me according to ilsa Brown's memories she also said if something happens to him I'll die too the same evening Ava Brown ordered food and drinks to be brought to the storage rooms of the berghoff she supposedly explained we need lots of supplies we'll need them to last for a long time [Music] thank you [Music]

Channel: Free Documentary - History

Views: 435,260

Keywords: Free Documentary, Documentaries, Full Documentary, documentary - topic, documentary (tv genre), History, History Documentaries, Free Documentary History, History Documentary, Eva Braun, Eva Braun Documentary, Third Reich Documentary, Nazi Germany Documentary, Adolf Hitler Documentary, Private Life of Adolf Hitler, History of Germany, German History, History of World War 2, Obersalzberg, Obersalzberg Documentary

Id: AKWky2CTDfE

Length: 44min 59sec (2699 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 28 2023