The Unknown Hitler reveals curious details about Fuhrer's life

A: Yes. In the afterword (the German publication is meant) we are describe in detail the operation Myth, within which Hitler's suicide was studied. In 1946 Günsche and Linge were taken to Berlin, where they examined the bunker under the Reich's chancellery one more time. They scrutinized the sofa, on which Hitler shot himself. There were no doubts that Hitler had shot himself to death.

Q: Matthias have you watched the film Der Untergang?

A: Yes, I have.

Q: What is your impression?

A: This is a feature film rather than a documentary. I think that the greatest advantage of the book The Unknown Hitler is that it shows the last months of the Third Reich. The situation in bunker, in Berlin itself. The Göhring's betrayal. Himmler's betrayal.

Q: Soviet film epic Liberation has actor Fritz Ditz starring. Germans say he even managed to reproduce Austrian accent of Fuhrer. Does Bruno Gantz also speak with the accent? Did he play Hitler's role well?

A: I think he was rather good. But it seemed to me he spoke with a Swiss accent. It is great that Bruno Gantz showed this monster in the form of human, because there is a risk that it could happen again. This evil should be fought.

Q: Russian publishers probably tried not to overload the book and turned it into academic work, turning down the afterword. What is it about?

A: It once again describes how the book was created. There are archival references to the material where the information was taken. We explained to the German reader what the Soviet propaganda is etc.

Q: Hitler is caricatured in the book. Was this made especially for Stalin?

A: He was like that in reality. Sometimes it looks like a caricature, but in fact he was strange. The main advantage of the book is that it is a view from the inside. Linge and Günsche saw many things that nobody else didn't and couldn't see. For instance, how after declaring war to the US (on 11 December 1941) Hitler was reading suspense novels, drawing strange building projects together with his main adjutant Schaub, looking at the colored pictures of naked Paris dancers through a projector and walking with his Scotch terrier.

Q: Did any of them leave memoirs?

A: Only Linge. First they were published in a magazine. Then they were revised and published as a separate book in 1980s. Günsche did not write anything because he thought that journalists didn't want to write as he wished. In autumn of 2003 when I found the dossier I read that Günsche had not written anything about his service. Then I decided to publish this book. The most interesting fact, to my mind, is that Russian historians knew about this document and used it but none of them decided to publish this really interesting document. I don’t know why.

Q: As I know German Historical Institute, where you are working, has opened only recently. Did you have any problems?

A: There were only problems concerning the status of the institute. Both from the German and the Russian sides. Now we've solved all the problems and I think we are working with success.

For reference:

Heinz Linge (born 23.03.1913 in Bremen. Died 24.06.1980 in Bremen). A mason with unfinished education in construction. In 1932 he joined NSDAP and SS. In 1933 he was admitted to Leibstandart Adolph Hitler. In 1933 after studying at the hotel business school he became Hitler’s orderly. He was Hitler's personal servant since 1935. SS Sturmbahnfuhrer. He was taken Soviet prisoner 02.05.1945. For several years he had been giving testimonies to NKVD. In 1950 he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. In 1955 he was released and sent to the Federal Republic of Germany.

Otto Günsche (born 24.09.1917 in Yen. Died 02.10. 2003 in Lomar near Bonn). In 1931 he joined Hitlerjugend. In 1934 he was admitted to Leibstandart Adolf Hitler. He was the member of SS. In 1935 he joined NDSAP. He studied in the military college during 1941-1942. He was Hitler's personal adjutant from January till August 1943. Then he was a commander of the SS tank division and later was appointed Hitler's personal adjutant again. In 1944 he became SS Sturmbahnfuhrer. He was taken Soviet prisoner 02.05.1945. In 1950 he was sentenced to 25 years of correctional labor. In 1955 he was transferred to the German Democratic Republic and released in 1956. Soon after that he escaped to the Federal Republic of Germany.

On the photos: prisoners Heinz Linge and Otto Günsche shortly before their release in 1955.

Igor Bukker