Summer Rios
Mr. Manatt
Pre-AP English II
16 May 2012
Eva Braun-Hitler The history of dictators has been gruesome and tragic. Hatred of these dictators is widely spread around the world. People seem to always question the morals and ideas of these dictators. However, some don’t always think about how a kind, smart woman could be in love with such a sick and twisted being. Eva Braun-Hitler married Adolf Hitler, one of the most notorious mass murderers of the 20th century, out of her infatuation with power and desire for a publicly recognized relationship. Eva Braun-Hitler was born on February 6, 1912 in Munich, Germany. Her mother was a school teacher named Franziska "Fanny" Kronberger. She had one older sister, Ilse, and a younger sister, Gretl. Eva made acceptable grades in school and was very athletic. Eva Braun’s parents separated in 1921 but later remarried. Her family was middle-class and Eva was raised as a Catholic. Braun’s life was fairly normal growing up until the war in Nazi, Germany began in 1933 (JVL). At the age of 19, Eva Braun began to work as a photographer’s assistant in Munich, Germany. The photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann, was Adolf Hitler’s personal photographer. Through him, Eva Braun met Adolf Hitler and described him to her friends as “a gentleman of a certain age with a funny moustache, a light-colored English overcoat, and carrying a big felt hat” (qtd. in Bülow). After having met Hitler for the first time, Eva wrote a letter to her sister, Gretl, describing her encounter and how she had taken a liking to the Nazi Fuhrer. Adolf Hitler returned the favor and took the young Eva Braun out to the theatre and dinner. Hitler once said to Linge, his personal valet, “Fraulein Braun is a young girl, too young to be the wife of one in my position. But she is the only girl for me. So we live as we do. But one day I shall give up the leadership of the Reich. I shall cease to be the Fuhrer and retire to Linz to a house that can be managed by a small staff. Then I will marry Fraulein Braun ..." (qtd. in Bülow).
The affair between Eva and Adolf was long lived and very secretive (Braun). The only people that knew about the lovers’ affair were those in the family of Eva Braun or those who worked closely to Adolf. Hitler was a very busy man. He took numerous trips far from his mistress. In turn, Eva began to question Hitler’s love for her (Braun). Eva was highly dedicated to Hitler and in August of 1932, Braun had finally had enough of waiting around for him. Eva Braun’s first suicide attempt, by gunshot, failed and in return she gained more attention and a home closer to the dictator. Adolf Hitler showered Braun with expensive gifts of cars and homes. Braun’s diary shows the effects of being young and in love with no other goals but to be with the fuehrer. The bond between Eva and Hitler was fairly unhealthy. Braun writes a great deal about Hitler in her diary and repeatedly talks about wanting a dog. Eva talks about Hitler forgetting her birthday and not buying her gifts for her special day (Braun). After the suicide attempt, Hitler made Braun his