Eva Braun

Eva Braun was born on February 6, 1912, in Munich, Germany. She was the second daughter of a school teacher and a seamstress. She attended a Catholic lyceum and a business school, where she showed a talent for athletics. At age 17, she took a job as a shop assistant and sales clerk for Heinrich Hoffmann, the official photographer for the Nazi Party. There she met Adolf Hitler, who was 23 years older than her, and became his lover. She attempted suicide twice during their early relationship, possibly to gain his attention. Braun lived a secluded life at Hitler's mountain retreat in Berchtesgaden, where she enjoyed skiing, swimming, reading, and watching movies. She was rarely seen in public with Hitler and had no influence on his political decisions. She was devoted to him and loyal to his cause, even as Nazi Germany was collapsing in the final days of World War II. She joined him in his Berlin bunker in April 1945, where they got married on April 29. The next day, they both committed suicide by biting cyanide capsules. Their bodies were burned in the garden of the Reich Chancellery. Braun was largely unknown to the German public until after her death. She left behind many color photographs and films of Hitler and his inner circle, which provide a rare glimpse into their private lives. She also wrote a diary, which was confiscated by the Allies and remains classified.