Russia's Federal Security Bureau exposes new documents about Adolf Hitler's suicide

The Federal Security Bureau of Russia (FSB) published new documents from the archive about Hitler's suicide. The documents contain memories of former commander of the mortar regiment Arthur Schwartz, who was in the same cell with Führer's adjutant Otto Günsche, RIA Novosti reports.

Günsche, who was arrested in May 1945, told his cellmate about the Führer's broken mental balance. Hitler strongly refused to be held captive either alive or dead, and he decided to commit suicide. Only a few people close to Hitler knew about this intention.

After Hitler and his wife Eva Braun committed suicide, their bodies were taken out of the bomb shelter to the courtyard through an emergency exit on April 30, 1945. The bodies were doused with gasoline and burnt, Günsche said. He saw Eva's face as her body was on a stretcher, but Hitler's head was covered up with a blanket. However, his adjutant recognised Hitler's trousers, socks and boots.

Günsche then went to the shelter, as the burning of the bodies had a strong impression on him. There was a driver, a pilot and Hitler's valet staying there.

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, his close associates were taken to the prison of the NKVD of the USSR, located in Moscow.

Daily routine in the Fuhrerbunker

Schwartz recollected the daily routine in the Fuhrerbunker in the last days of the Nazi regime:

"Hitler would sleep before 13 o'clock, then would have breakfast and work on the line and have meetings. Then, at about 16:30, he would listen to reports about the situation on the front and the meetings would then continue. At 21-22:00 he'd have dinner, then rest before midnight and have discussions about the fronts before 03:00 a.m. Afterwards, Hitler would have tea and work before 07:00 a.m.," Schwartz said.

According to Günsche's memories that Schwartz reproduced Hitler was acting in such a way that one could think that his mental balance was completely shattered. In addition to the news about the failure in the operation to break through the circle around Berlin, Hitler was very much affected by the telegram from (Vice-Chancellor of Germany) Goering, in which the latter appointed himself as his successor. The news of Himmler's unauthorized negotiations came as devastating news to Hitler as well.

On April 28, 1945, Hitler learned that Reichsführer Himmler offered Germany's surrender to Western Allied forces. Hitler ordered to arrest Himmler for treason.

Günsche also told Schwartz why, in his opinion, Hitler married Eva Braun at the very last moment before his suicide.

"According to Adjutant Günsche, Hitler married only because he had the intention to commit suicide. Otherwise, he would not have married, because, being the Fuhrer of the empire, he looked at himself as a mystical person,” Schwartz testified.