Germany, Third Reich. A Lot of Love Letters from Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler to Hedwig Potthast

(Post). A lot of two love letters from Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945) to Frau Hedwig Potthast (1912-1994), the first dated 27-28 July 1941, presenting handwriting in black ink, measuring 20.9 cm (w) x 29.5 cm (h), presenting folding creases, and in very fine condition, accompanied by the envelope addressed to Frau Hedwig Potthast Berlin, measuring 19.9 cm (w) x 12.9 cm (h), and in good condition. Accompanied by a typed transcript of the letter in German and English. Also, a letter dated 20 June 1944, containing two pages, presenting handwriting in black ink, measuring 20.9 cm (w) x 29.4 cm (h), presenting a stamp stating Autograph Collection of Dr. Max Thorek Chicago, with folding creases and scuffing around edges, and in near very fine condition.

Footnote: Hedwig Potthast was born in Cologne on 5 February 1912. She began as Himmler’s secretary in 1936 and by 1938 she was his lover. She had two children with Himmler: Helge, a son born 15 February 1942, and Nannette-Dorothea, a daughter born 20 July 1944. In the same year that their daughter Nannette-Dorothea was born, Himmler borrowed 80,000 Reichmarks from the Nazi Party Chancellery to build Potthast a house near Berchtesgaden.

The U.S. Army secretly interrogated Potthast on 22 May 1945. She claimed that she saw Himmler for the last time during the week of 22 March 1945 and she spoke to him for the last time over the telephone on 19 April 1945. During the interrogation, Potthast first protested that she had burned all her letters from Himmler, but eventually admitted that she has burned only a small portion, as she could not bear to destroy anything so previous to her. The interrogator noted that ‘“Appropriate authorities have been notified regarding the disposition of those letters.” Potthast stated that Himmler never discussed politics or SS activities with her.