Lot 241
Fascinating typed document, 7pp. 4to., Berlin, Nov. 23, 1945, the original transcript of a statement given to an officer of the Strategic Services Unit of the U.S. War Department by ERNA FLEGEL (1911-2006), a surgical nurse at the University Hospital in Berlin, who was assigned to treat patients in Adolf Hitler's "Fuhrerbunker" during the last days of the war, and who was captured by the Russians following Hitler's suicide. The statement provides a stunningly detailed and personal account of life in the bunker. In very small part: "...During the [air] raid I stayed in the First Aid room of the shelter. When Berlin came under direct artillery fire, I stayed there all the time... Properly, only SS units who had been injured were brought there... When the ring around Berlin kept drawing closer and closer, we had to keep the injured there who had formerly been carried away to the hospitals after air raids. In the course of the fighting, we grew to be a large hospital " about 500 wounded... When parts of Berlin were already occupied, and the Russians were coming closer and closer to the center of the city, one could feel, almost physically, that the Third Reich was approaching its end... Hitler required no care; I was there exclusively for the care of the wounded. To be sure, he had aged greatly in the last days; he now had a lot of grey hair and gave the impression of a man at least fifteen or twenty years older. He shook a good deal, walking was difficult for him, his right side was still very much weakened as a result of the attempt on his life... It was not until November [of 1944] that I saw Hitler again for the first time after the attack, when he was in Berlin for a state funeral... At that time he was very animated, and made all sorts of jokes. When Hitler was in the room, he filled it entirely with his personality - you saw only him, aside from him nothing else existed. The fascinating thing about him was his eyes; up to the end, it was impossible to turn away from his eyes. I assume that Hitler recognized the hopelessness of his position; he is said to have expressed himself on the subject to [his physician] Prof. Haase. For that very reason, I regard every rumor that Hitler is still alive as senseless, he would never have had the spiritual and physical strength to build up a new Germany... The marriage of Hitler to Eva Braun took place on the 28 April. When I learned about it, it was immediately clear to me that this signified the end of the Third Reich, for if Hitler had believed a continuation of it possible, he would never have taken this step. Now, with death facing him, he wished to thank this woman for her self-sacrificing loyalty by giving her his name... On the afternoon of the 28 April the marriage was performed. This incident was of little importance to us; at any rate, we saw nothing unusual in it, for Eva Braun was a completely colorless personality... On the 29 April in the evening, we were told that we were all to be received by Hitler... About twenty-five or thirty people were already gathered there, the secretaries, the cleaning women and a few strangers who had taken refuge in the shelter. They were all standing in a row. Hitler had the names of the persons he didn't know told to him, and shook hands with each one as he walked down the line. A 'brown sister', who was a stranger and who had perhaps not grasped the seriousness of the moment, and the ultimate fate, expressed her thanks to Hitler because she had been admitted into the shelter, and said in conclusion: 'Fuehrer, we believe in you and in a good outcome!' Whereupon Hitler replied: 'Each one must stand in his place and hold out, and if fate requires it, there he must fall!' I had a feeling that for Hitler we were the forum of the German people to which he was presenting himself once more since he had no more extensive one. On 30 April then, in the afternoon, he departed this life. We asked no questions as to how, none at all, for each one of us had the feeling on the previous evening that this was farewell. I learned of his death in a special way. Because of this feeling I have just described, my first question to the Doctor each morning was: 'Is Hitler still alive?' The answer: 'Yes.' The same anxious question at each meeting with Dr. Haase. When the latter came out of the Fuehrer's shelter at six o'clock, I asked again: 'Is Hitler still alive?' As he gave me no answer, I knew the truth. It was natural that such an event was not discussed, and that it affected us all very deeply, also that at such a time unimportant matters were of no interest at all. For, of course, we all believed that we, too, should not come out of this hell alive... Then later we learned that Hauptsturmfuehrer Schneider was required to bring gasoline from the garage of the shelter. Dr. Stumpfecker burned Hitler's body in the garden... Upon the news that Hitler was dead, we were told that now we were released from our oath, and everyone was permitted to choose his own fate. The able-bodied men prepared to make a sally. We others decided not to go out with the combat group; we stayed, naturally, at our place beside the wounded... on 2 May, about ten o'clock in the morning, the Russians were there. We had marked our section with Red Cross flags. At first they went through the shelter, and respected the Red Cross absolutely. Nothing happened either to the wounded or to us, nor did they take anything away from us. We were even permitted to lock ourselves in at night; the Russian Commandant's behavior was exemplary. Naturally it was a surprise to us that he gave us permission to lock our doors, but he said he could not vouch for his soldiers..." Flegel concludes by briefly describing her term as a prisoner of war, during which she was allowed to carry in with her nursing duties. The statement contains much more information besides on the actions and fates of notable people who sought shelter in the bunker, including the Goebbels family, Martin Bormann, Hans Baur, Robert Ritter von Greim, Hanna Reitsch, Ernst Fegelein, and others. This remarkable narrative is prefaced by a typed cover letter, 1p. 4to. Berlin, Nov. 30, 1945, from U.S. Naval Reserve Lieutenant Commander RICHARD HELMS (1913-2002), later CIA Director of Central Intelligence, to Brigadier General G. Bryan Conrad, SSU Director of Intelligence. Helms briefly describes the attached statement as being taken in German by an unnamed SSU officer, adding the note: "...Although Erna Flegel never belonged to the Nazi Party, she is a fanatical admirer of Hitler and a definite supporter of Nazi doctrines..." Each page of this letter and Flegel's statement is stamped "Confidential" at top and bottom. The document shows some folds and paper clip marks to the corners, with an approx. 1" hole to the final page slightly affecting some words of the text, else very good. The statement is accompanied by an additional T.L.S., 1p. 4to., Washington, D.C., Aug. 4, 1981, from now-retired DCI Richard Helms to our consignor, in small part: "...I must confess that I was most surprised to receive the document attached to your missive. Many years ago I had the files at the Central Intelligence Agency searched in an effort to find that interview with Nurse Flegel and had no success. It seemed to have vanished into thin air. Therefore I can only assume that you went the U.S. Army route - with obvious success... As best I can recall, the discussion with Nurse Flegel was conducted by Frederick Stalder. Stalder, who was a member of my staff in Berlin, was an American citizen of Swiss origins. In other words, he was thoroughly qualified in the German language. I have forgotten how we happened to locate Nurse Flegel, but I do recall that we regarded the interview at the time as very important..." The original transmittal envelope for this letter is also present. Altogether, a uniquely informative and valuable document of Hitler's last days and the fall of the Third Reich.
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