Eva Braun

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Eva Braun's parents

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Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F051673-0059, Adolf Hitler und Eva Braun auf dem Berghof

Eva Braun (6 February 1912 – 30 April 1945) was the longtime companion of Adolf Hitler and, for less than 40 hours, his wife. Braun met Hitler in Munich when she was a 17-year-old assistant and model for his personal photographer; she began a relationship with him in 1931. Despite her relationship with one of the most controversial figures in 20th-century history, Braun is a figure who remains relatively obscure in the annals of the period.

Early Life

Eva Braun was born in Munich, the second daughter of school teacher Friedrich "Fritz" Braun and Franziska "Fanny" Kronberger, who had worked as a seamstress before her marriage. She grew up in a conservative, Catholic household with her two sisters, Ilse and Gretl. Braun attended a lyceum, then a business school, and worked as a bookkeeper and assistant at a photography shop.

Relationship with Adolf Hitler

Braun first met Adolf Hitler in 1929, while she was working for Heinrich Hoffmann, the official photographer of the Nazi Party. Initially, she did not have a significant relationship with Hitler, but by 1931, she had entered into a close relationship with him. Despite Hitler's position as the leader of the Nazi Party and later as the chancellor and Führer of Germany, their relationship was kept out of the public eye. Braun lived a secluded life, spending much of her time waiting for Hitler at his Berghof residence in the Bavarian Alps or at the Berliner or Munich apartments.

Life During World War II

Throughout World War II, Braun was a fixture at Hitler's side, living with him at his various residences. Despite the war and Hitler's increasingly demanding schedule, Braun attempted to maintain a semblance of normalcy in her life, engaging in hobbies such as photography and film. She was known to be vivacious and outgoing, in stark contrast to Hitler's more reserved nature.

Marriage and Death

As the Allies closed in on Berlin, Hitler and Braun were married in a small civil ceremony in the Führerbunker on 29 April 1945. Less than 40 hours later, on 30 April 1945, they committed suicide together in the bunker. Braun took cyanide, while Hitler shot himself. Their bodies were carried out of the bunker, doused in petrol, and set on fire, as per Hitler's orders.

Legacy

Eva Braun's relationship with Adolf Hitler has been the subject of much speculation and analysis. Her role in the Nazi regime and her knowledge of its atrocities remain topics of debate among historians. Braun's life and relationship with Hitler have been depicted in films, documentaries, and books, contributing to the public's fascination with the inner circle of one of history's most infamous figures.