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Living with Hitler: Accounts of Hitlers Household Staff
This collection paints a picture of Hitler from members of his household in the unique position of being seemingly ever-present, yet totally unconnected to events.The reader is introduced to Hitler's Bodyguard Karl Krause (1934-39), his house administrator Herbert Dhring (1935-43) and chambermaid Anna Plaim (1941-43). From these accounts we get a deeper sense of Hitler in close proximity.These accounts massively add to our understanding of Hitler as a three dimensional character, especially from subjects like Plaim who only knew Hitler's home life, having rarely left Berghof.The series is able to shed light on his likes and dislikes from foods to his hobbies, creating a strange sense of humanity. This collection also provides the reader with fresh anecdotes, observations and portraits of Hitler's entourage and relatives. Plaim's images of Eva Braun come from finding torn fragments in the bin, whilst Dhring sheds light on Martin Bormann's demeanour.
389 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 12, 2018
Living with Hitler – Yet Another Book about Hitler!
There are many books about Hitler and there have been since the day he rose to power in Germany and long after he killed himself. Some are historical examinations of his life, career and what he wrought on Europe during his period destroying the continent and its peoples.
Living with Hitler is different from the others, in that it is a collection of three memoirs from three members of Hitler’s household staff. This is the first time this book has been available in English with an introduction from Roger Moorhouse and excellently translated by Eva Burke.
While we have records of Hitler’s former party colleagues, and his devotees on which plenty of research about Hitler’s personality has been based on over the years. This is slightly different as this is the view of the staff from below stairs in his apartments who saw everything and said nothing. Like the servants in the Big Houses of England who saw everything and said nothing, these servants have recorded their memories.
The first memoir is that Herbert Dohring whom was first a bodyguard before being placed in charge of running the Berghof home, Anna Plaim who was a chambermaid and Hitler’s former valet Karl Wilhelm Krause. Which makes for a fascinating read as they are an intimate portrait of Hitler. They offer a glimpse in to his personal relationships especially with Eva Braun. At the same time from these accounts we get a sense of what it was like to be in close proximity to Hitler, some of his intimate details of his habits, health and behaviour.
It is strange know that even we often seen pictures of Hitler at Berghof, with Eva Braun, and other Nazis, that he did not like the place. While the blurb states that Living with Hitler portrays the Fuhrer as a human, I would say it shows him to be strange.
While I found the book to be interesting, and adds another dimension to what we know about Hitler, it still means I hate him with a passion.
There are many books about Hitler and there have been since the day he rose to power in Germany and long after he killed himself. Some are historical examinations of his life, career and what he wrought on Europe during his period destroying the continent and its peoples.
Living with Hitler is different from the others, in that it is a collection of three memoirs from three members of Hitler’s household staff. This is the first time this book has been available in English with an introduction from Roger Moorhouse and excellently translated by Eva Burke.
While we have records of Hitler’s former party colleagues, and his devotees on which plenty of research about Hitler’s personality has been based on over the years. This is slightly different as this is the view of the staff from below stairs in his apartments who saw everything and said nothing. Like the servants in the Big Houses of England who saw everything and said nothing, these servants have recorded their memories.
The first memoir is that Herbert Dohring whom was first a bodyguard before being placed in charge of running the Berghof home, Anna Plaim who was a chambermaid and Hitler’s former valet Karl Wilhelm Krause. Which makes for a fascinating read as they are an intimate portrait of Hitler. They offer a glimpse in to his personal relationships especially with Eva Braun. At the same time from these accounts we get a sense of what it was like to be in close proximity to Hitler, some of his intimate details of his habits, health and behaviour.
It is strange know that even we often seen pictures of Hitler at Berghof, with Eva Braun, and other Nazis, that he did not like the place. While the blurb states that Living with Hitler portrays the Fuhrer as a human, I would say it shows him to be strange.
While I found the book to be interesting, and adds another dimension to what we know about Hitler, it still means I hate him with a passion.
December 19, 2018
It’s a strange undertaking to read a book in which someone tries to impress upon you Hitler’s humanity. Or that it was Poland and not Nazi Germany that was the aggressor in World War II.
But it happens at times when you read accounts of those who knew Adolf Hitler particularly well, here, his household staff.
In Living with Hitler: Accounts of Hitler’s Household Staff, three of Hitler’s domestic servants at his Bavarian retreat, the Berghof, recount what life was like working for the German dictator whose rule would destroy much of Europe, embroil the world in war, and cause the deaths of millions of innocent people.
In Living with Hitler, one gets a glimpse of Hitler as he interacts with military subordinates, foreign dignitaries, and his household staff, as relayed through the memoirs of and through interviews with Krause, his valet; Dohring, his housekeeper; and Plaim, a chambermaid.
Living with Hitler is an interesting look at life at the Berghof, everything from Hitler’s daily routines and Spartan lifestyle to his relationship with Eva Braun are discussed, all by front-row witnesses. It informs on other weightier matters such as Hitler’s decision to halt the advance on Dunkirk to his relationship with Stalin.
It also offers insight on the staff themselves.
In the introduction to Living with Hitler, Roger Moorhouse writes of the three Berghof servants, “the answer to the question ‘what did they know about the Nazis’ crimes?’ is, frustratingly, ‘not very much.’” This might be true during their time at the Berghof, but certainly not decades later.
Even so, Krause seems to exonerate Hitler to some degree.
He blames Hitler for Germany’s fate after the war, but tries to convey that Hitler was easily manipulated and that it was his underlings who were responsible for the deaths and devastation of World War II, not Hitler himself. We’re to believe that this was not what Hitler wanted, despite Mein Kampf, despite his fiery speeches. He also writes that Hitler was “a man of principle” because he was loyal to Mercedes Benz.
He wants to set the record straight as regards “the so-called diaries of Eva Braun,” because if the world is judging, we should have an accurate picture of what we are judging, but he doesn’t really allude to Nazi atrocities during World War II, which is frustrating.
One has to remember that this book is a book of memories about life at the Berghof, which was somewhat idyllic, about observations and impressions, even if politics are inserted to a degree.
Still, not all of Hitler’s former staff are as forgiving, as illustrated by Plaim’s concluding remarks.
In an interview, she is asked, “Were you sorry about the death of Hitler and Eva Braun?”
Her response: “No. The misery Hitler brought to this world makes me not regret his death for one second.”
That says something.
Living with Hitler: Accounts of Hitler’s Household Staff is available from the library.
- Katina, Area Librarian
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH?
DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS!
GENRE: History Writing; Life Stories; Translations
WRITING STYLE: Compelling; Richly Detailed
LOCATION: Germany
SUBJECT: Berghof; Bodyguards; Herbert Dohring; Adolf Hitler; Household Employees; Karl Wilheim Krause; Nazis; Anna Plaim; Valets
But it happens at times when you read accounts of those who knew Adolf Hitler particularly well, here, his household staff.
In Living with Hitler: Accounts of Hitler’s Household Staff, three of Hitler’s domestic servants at his Bavarian retreat, the Berghof, recount what life was like working for the German dictator whose rule would destroy much of Europe, embroil the world in war, and cause the deaths of millions of innocent people.
In Living with Hitler, one gets a glimpse of Hitler as he interacts with military subordinates, foreign dignitaries, and his household staff, as relayed through the memoirs of and through interviews with Krause, his valet; Dohring, his housekeeper; and Plaim, a chambermaid.
Living with Hitler is an interesting look at life at the Berghof, everything from Hitler’s daily routines and Spartan lifestyle to his relationship with Eva Braun are discussed, all by front-row witnesses. It informs on other weightier matters such as Hitler’s decision to halt the advance on Dunkirk to his relationship with Stalin.
It also offers insight on the staff themselves.
In the introduction to Living with Hitler, Roger Moorhouse writes of the three Berghof servants, “the answer to the question ‘what did they know about the Nazis’ crimes?’ is, frustratingly, ‘not very much.’” This might be true during their time at the Berghof, but certainly not decades later.
Even so, Krause seems to exonerate Hitler to some degree.
He blames Hitler for Germany’s fate after the war, but tries to convey that Hitler was easily manipulated and that it was his underlings who were responsible for the deaths and devastation of World War II, not Hitler himself. We’re to believe that this was not what Hitler wanted, despite Mein Kampf, despite his fiery speeches. He also writes that Hitler was “a man of principle” because he was loyal to Mercedes Benz.
He wants to set the record straight as regards “the so-called diaries of Eva Braun,” because if the world is judging, we should have an accurate picture of what we are judging, but he doesn’t really allude to Nazi atrocities during World War II, which is frustrating.
One has to remember that this book is a book of memories about life at the Berghof, which was somewhat idyllic, about observations and impressions, even if politics are inserted to a degree.
Still, not all of Hitler’s former staff are as forgiving, as illustrated by Plaim’s concluding remarks.
In an interview, she is asked, “Were you sorry about the death of Hitler and Eva Braun?”
Her response: “No. The misery Hitler brought to this world makes me not regret his death for one second.”
That says something.
Living with Hitler: Accounts of Hitler’s Household Staff is available from the library.
- Katina, Area Librarian
ARE YOU AND THIS BOOK A GOOD MATCH?
DISCOVER MORE WITH NOVELIST APPEALS!
GENRE: History Writing; Life Stories; Translations
WRITING STYLE: Compelling; Richly Detailed
LOCATION: Germany
SUBJECT: Berghof; Bodyguards; Herbert Dohring; Adolf Hitler; Household Employees; Karl Wilheim Krause; Nazis; Anna Plaim; Valets
July 4, 2019
Did anyone know Adolf Hitler? Does anyone know anyone?
The more memoirs I read written by people who knew Adolf Hitler the more convinced I am that 1.) Nobody really knew this guy or 2.) They simply refuse to reveal much of what they knew. Props.
Back to my primary question. Did anyone really know Adolf Hitler? Does anyone really know anyone? We are all carefully constructed facades, Adolf Hitler no exception, in fact, more like Exhibit A. Carefully constructed facade. For instance, the housekeeper, Herbert Dohring, my second favorite Hitler memorist after Hienz Linge, insists that Adolf Hitler did not have a sexual relationship with Eva Braun while Anna Plaim, the chambermaid, says he did.
Who was in a better position to "know?" Anna Plaim bases her conclusion on hearsay. Dohring bases his conclusions on . . . who the fuck knows? Adolf Hitler's attitude toward Eva Braun, mainly.
Again and again, the people closest to Adolf Hitler continue to shroud him in mystery.
Another possibility. Adolf Hitler was who he wanted to be to certain people, or people made Adolf Hitler into who they wanted him to be to them.
Favorite moment, the chambermaid Anna, recalls trying on her employer's slippers and noting the guy had huge feet. Another interesting tidbit. She stole candy from a candy dish on his desk.
As a writer, I wanted Anna Plaim to take these moments somewhere. Shrug.
There is also Anna Plaim's story about discovering Eva Braun's two dogs, Negus and Stasi, going at it on a carpeted staircase leading to Adolf Hitler's bedroom. The chambermaid screamed for the housekeeper. "Help, help, the dogs!" Dohring suggested they pretend they hadn't seen anything.
One more take away. Martin Bormann took over the Berghof, terrified everyone at the Berghof, and nobody liked the guy, and he pulled mean tricks like rushing about the house asking if anyone had a prayer book, and if any servant dared produce a prayer book, evidence of their faith, he fired them.
According to all three of these memorists, Adolf Hitler never abandoned his faith, although most of his entourage scathingly denounced religion, in particular Martin Bormann, who managed to get himself way up Adolf Hitler's ass, and I suspect Hitler liked men way up his ass.
Take that literal, metaphorical, or both. XO.
The more memoirs I read written by people who knew Adolf Hitler the more convinced I am that 1.) Nobody really knew this guy or 2.) They simply refuse to reveal much of what they knew. Props.
Back to my primary question. Did anyone really know Adolf Hitler? Does anyone really know anyone? We are all carefully constructed facades, Adolf Hitler no exception, in fact, more like Exhibit A. Carefully constructed facade. For instance, the housekeeper, Herbert Dohring, my second favorite Hitler memorist after Hienz Linge, insists that Adolf Hitler did not have a sexual relationship with Eva Braun while Anna Plaim, the chambermaid, says he did.
Who was in a better position to "know?" Anna Plaim bases her conclusion on hearsay. Dohring bases his conclusions on . . . who the fuck knows? Adolf Hitler's attitude toward Eva Braun, mainly.
Again and again, the people closest to Adolf Hitler continue to shroud him in mystery.
Another possibility. Adolf Hitler was who he wanted to be to certain people, or people made Adolf Hitler into who they wanted him to be to them.
Favorite moment, the chambermaid Anna, recalls trying on her employer's slippers and noting the guy had huge feet. Another interesting tidbit. She stole candy from a candy dish on his desk.
As a writer, I wanted Anna Plaim to take these moments somewhere. Shrug.
There is also Anna Plaim's story about discovering Eva Braun's two dogs, Negus and Stasi, going at it on a carpeted staircase leading to Adolf Hitler's bedroom. The chambermaid screamed for the housekeeper. "Help, help, the dogs!" Dohring suggested they pretend they hadn't seen anything.
One more take away. Martin Bormann took over the Berghof, terrified everyone at the Berghof, and nobody liked the guy, and he pulled mean tricks like rushing about the house asking if anyone had a prayer book, and if any servant dared produce a prayer book, evidence of their faith, he fired them.
According to all three of these memorists, Adolf Hitler never abandoned his faith, although most of his entourage scathingly denounced religion, in particular Martin Bormann, who managed to get himself way up Adolf Hitler's ass, and I suspect Hitler liked men way up his ass.
Take that literal, metaphorical, or both. XO.
July 3, 2023
Very interesting account of life at the Berghof from there people who worked there: Hitler’s valet, housekeeper and chambermaid. This had lots of interesting details and it was interesting to read something which is not focussed on the politics of the time but rather everyday life and these were ordinary people who worked in these circumstances.
As two of these are interviews which took place many years after events and whole passages are quoted and conversations I think some of this needs to be approached with caution as it is unlikely you would remember the exact words someone said many years after the event. In the case of Anna Plaim her letters home remained intact after the war which is a great source of information.
These seem to be reliable accounts on the whole as I think Volker Ullrich used/discussed them for his biography of Hitler.
As two of these are interviews which took place many years after events and whole passages are quoted and conversations I think some of this needs to be approached with caution as it is unlikely you would remember the exact words someone said many years after the event. In the case of Anna Plaim her letters home remained intact after the war which is a great source of information.
These seem to be reliable accounts on the whole as I think Volker Ullrich used/discussed them for his biography of Hitler.
November 19, 2019
Fascinating insight into Hitler's household. It is quite odd reading about events or circumstances that are now common knowledge which, back then, were completely unheard of.
More interesting, however, is how Hitler comes across as a fairly genial fellow who makes a good boss to those under his employment. He certainly was a man of many hypocrisies. No-one ever wants to concede that such an awful human being could have his good moments, but it would appear he did.
Clearly, those that were in his employment were somewhat besotted by him and, in many ways, still are. I think they find it hard to separate the man from his deeds with only the final of the three authors coming down hard on him
Crtainly worth a read for those with an interest in Hitler or the Third Reich.
More interesting, however, is how Hitler comes across as a fairly genial fellow who makes a good boss to those under his employment. He certainly was a man of many hypocrisies. No-one ever wants to concede that such an awful human being could have his good moments, but it would appear he did.
Clearly, those that were in his employment were somewhat besotted by him and, in many ways, still are. I think they find it hard to separate the man from his deeds with only the final of the three authors coming down hard on him
Crtainly worth a read for those with an interest in Hitler or the Third Reich.
September 4, 2024
Up close anecdotes and stories by three former employees of Hitler who worked on the Berghof. Overall, the stories of Hitler and those around him are not terribly interesting, though from a historical point of view the narratives are important. There is the potential to fall for mythmaking, e.g. one of them still seems to blame Bormann and Himmler more than Hitler. I found the story of the chambermaid the most interesting. She is no longer under Hitler's spell, provides an authentic narrative, and also shares insights into Eva Braun.
February 20, 2024
Read this one as a recommendation after finishing Until the Final Hour by Hitler’s last secretary. The title of it evokes horror in itself, but the valet, housekeeper and chambermaid interviewed for this book seemed to wax nostalgic even decades later for the sheltered, pampered lives they led at Hitler’s mountain retreat. They all expressed regret after the fact but the details of how they lived are still pretty sickening considering how millions of others spent those years.
October 18, 2018
Hitler's personal living situation
This is an interesting close-up look at the domestic life of Hitler. The interviews are easy to read and provide a rare personal look at his life on the Obersalzberg. Roger Morehouse has organized several of these books, memoirs of Hitler's servants and staff. They are all well done. Nice to make them available to English-speaking readers.
This is an interesting close-up look at the domestic life of Hitler. The interviews are easy to read and provide a rare personal look at his life on the Obersalzberg. Roger Morehouse has organized several of these books, memoirs of Hitler's servants and staff. They are all well done. Nice to make them available to English-speaking readers.
March 23, 2020
Good Read
Very interesting. It was also educational and informative. I never thought of Hitlers day-to-day life. This book made him seem more of a puppet dictator than an all-out evil man. I think if he could have been manipulated by a good person, history might have been different.
Very interesting. It was also educational and informative. I never thought of Hitlers day-to-day life. This book made him seem more of a puppet dictator than an all-out evil man. I think if he could have been manipulated by a good person, history might have been different.
September 10, 2023
"Towards our future generations and history we are obligated to convey an honest portrayal of who Hitler was and what happened during his time."
These memoirs were absolutely fascinating and from people who had front row seats to the leaders of the Third Reichs' lives.
These memoirs were absolutely fascinating and from people who had front row seats to the leaders of the Third Reichs' lives.
May 27, 2025
The internal reality of life in close proximity to the Fuhrer is quite different than the fantastical tales invented by the scribblers that demand war and maintain a safe distance from it.
June 11, 2025
Interesting.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews