11 Facts About Hedwig Potthast

Hedwig Potthast was the private secretary and mistress of Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler, with whom she had two children.

Hedwig Potthast resigned from her duties in 1941, and subsequently had two children with Himmler, a boy and a girl.

Hedwig Potthast was born on 5 February 1912 in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia as the daughter of a local businessman.

From early 1936 until early 1941, Hedwig Potthast was Himmler's private secretary, and in this function was particularly responsible for Himmler's sponsorship and giving of awards.

Himmler and Hedwig Potthast confessed their love for each other at Christmas time in 1938.

Hedwig Potthast felt humiliated and bitter, and Potthast's parents rejected the extramarital relationship.

Hedwig Potthast first took up residence in Grunewald and from 1943 she lived in Bruckentin, near the estate of Oswald Pohl, because she was a friend of his wife, Eleonore.

When World War II in Europe ended, Hedwig Potthast was in Achensee, Austria, and, after having learned of the death of Himmler on the radio on 23 May 1945, went into hiding, living temporarily with Eleonore Pohl in Rosenheim, Upper Bavaria.

Hedwig Potthast lived in Theissendorf and kept in contact with the family of Himmler's older brother, Gebhard, as well as Himmler's former close confidant, Karl Wolff, until the 1950s.

Hedwig Potthast's son struggled with ailments throughout his life and stayed with her; her daughter became a physician.

Hedwig Potthast died on 22 September 1994, aged 82, in Baden-Baden, Baden-Wurttemberg.