Erna Flegel facts for kids

Erna Flegel (born July 11, 1911 – died February 16, 2006) was a German nurse. She worked in Berlin during the final days of World War II. In April 1945, she was at an emergency medical station near the Reich Chancellery. She was one of the last people inside the Führerbunker before she was captured by the Red Army on May 2, 1945.

A Nurse During Wartime

Erna Flegel worked as a nurse from January 1943 until the end of World War II. She helped care for people connected to Adolf Hitler. During the Battle of Berlin, she worked alongside Dr. Werner Haase, one of Hitler's doctors.

Flegel was a nurse at Humboldt University Hospital. In late April 1945, she was moved to the Reich Chancellery. There, she worked in an emergency medical station. This station was in a large cellar, located above the Vorbunker and Führerbunker.

Helping the Wounded

A historian named R.J. Defalque wrote about Erna Flegel in 2003. He shared memories from another doctor, Ernst-Günther Schenck. Schenck worked with Dr. Haase and "nurse Erna" (Erna Flegel) in the bunker.

When Dr. Haase was not there, Schenck and Flegel worked together. They helped many wounded people who came into the bunker complex. Flegel was described as a very strong woman. She did not hesitate when treating serious injuries.

Life in the Bunker

During her time in the bunker, Erna Flegel became friends with Magda Goebbels. However, she had a less positive view of Eva Braun, Hitler's companion. Flegel also helped care for the Goebbels children. She found them "charming" and very sweet. However, she was very sad about what happened to them and found it hard to forgive Magda Goebbels for her part in their fate.

Hitler's SS aide, Otto Günsche, gave Flegel and others an award. It was the War Merit Cross (Kriegsverdienstkreuz) 2nd class. They received it for their emergency medical help to wounded German soldiers and civilians. Dr. Schenck also wrote that Hitler thanked Flegel and Haase for their medical services.

Some accounts say Flegel was very emotional when she was called to say goodbye to Hitler. After that, she went back to work at the emergency station.

Capture and Later Life

Erna Flegel stayed in the bunker with Dr. Haase, Helmut Kunz, and another nurse, Liselotte Chervinska. They were the last people in the Führerbunker. On May 2, 1945, the Soviet Red Army captured them. They were taken to the NKGB headquarters.

Flegel was released quickly. She said that the Soviet troops treated her well. She stayed in the bunker area for about six to ten more days before leaving.

In November 1945, she was questioned by Frederick Stalder. He worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in Berlin. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) released notes from this interview in 1981. The notes said that Flegel's account of the final days in the Führerbunker was very clear.

Media Attention

In 2005, reporters found Erna Flegel living in a nursing home in Germany. She gave an interview to the media. The Guardian newspaper published an article about her interview.

After this, many newspapers in the United States, Germany, and Australia became interested. In July 2005, The Washington Post compared Flegel's statements to those of another person, Arnold Weiss. Both did not want to take their secrets with them when they died. People had different ideas about whether Flegel's interview shared new information about the bunker's final days.

Erna Flegel died in Mölln in 2006. She was 94 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Erna Flegel para niños