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Michael Williams: Paula Wolf/Hitler:
Headquarters 101st Airborne
Division.
101st CIS
Detachment
APO 472, U.S. Army
12 July 1945
Memorandum for the Officer
in Charge.
Subject: Interrogation of
Frau Paula Wolff (Frl. Paula Hitler)
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
favorite 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 laborer.
Adolf was interviewed and renounced his half in my favor.
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
favorite.
My brother came to Vienna in
1921 for the express purpose of seeing me. I did not
recognize 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. 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 Hamitzs 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 500 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 Hütte, 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
/s/George Allen
Special Agent, CIC
Attached CIC
Commander.
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