Magda Goebbels facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Magda Goebbels
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Goebbels in 1933
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Johanna Maria Magdalena Ritschel
11 November 1901 Berlin, German Empire |
| Died | 1 May 1945 (aged 43) Führerbunker, Berlin, Nazi Germany |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Political party | Nazi Party (NSDAP) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | Harald, Helga, Hildegard, Helmut, Holdine, Hedwig, Heidrun |
| Alma mater | Ursuline Convent |
| Awards | Golden Party Badge Cross of Honor of the German Mother |
Magda Goebbels (born Johanna Maria Magdalena Ritschel on 11 November 1901) was a well-known figure in Nazi Germany. She was the wife of Joseph Goebbels, who was the Propaganda Minister for the Nazi government. Magda was also a close supporter and friend of Adolf Hitler. Some people called her the unofficial "first lady" of Nazi Germany because of her important role.
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Early Life and Family
Magda was born in 1901 in Berlin, Germany. Her mother, Auguste Behrend, later married Oskar Ritschel. When Magda was five, she lived with her mother's ex-husband for a short time. In 1908, her mother married Richard Friedländer, a wealthy Jewish businessman. Magda took his last name and moved with them to Brussels, Belgium.
In Brussels, Magda went to the Ursuline Convent school. People remembered her as a smart and active girl. Some records found later suggest that Richard Friedländer might have been Magda's biological father.
The family lived in Brussels until World War I began in 1914. Germans were forced to leave Belgium during the war. Magda's family moved back to Berlin. Her mother and Friedländer divorced in 1914.
While in Berlin, Magda became friends with Lisa Arlosoroff. She also spent time with Lisa's brother, Haim. Haim was a Zionist, meaning he supported a Jewish homeland. Magda even wore a Star of David for a short time and went to Jewish youth club meetings with him. Their relationship ended, but they stayed in touch for several years.
First Marriage and Son
In 1920, Magda met Günther Quandt on a train. He was a rich German businessman, much older than her. He was very kind and tried to impress her. He asked her to change her last name back to Ritschel. He also asked her to change her religion from Catholicism to his Protestantism.
Magda and Günther married on 4 January 1921. Their son, Harald Quandt, was born later that year on 1 November 1921.
Magda soon felt unhappy in her marriage. Günther was very busy with his businesses and spent little time with her. They separated in 1929 and later divorced. Magda received a good settlement from the divorce.
Life with Joseph Goebbels
In 1930, Magda went to a meeting of the Nazi Party. She was very impressed by Joseph Goebbels, who was a powerful Nazi leader in Berlin. She joined the Nazi Party on 1 September 1930. She did some volunteer work and later became a secretary for Goebbels.
Magda and Joseph Goebbels started a relationship in early 1931. They soon planned to marry. Goebbels wrote in his diary that they promised to marry once the Nazis had taken control of Germany. Magda's apartment in Berlin became a popular meeting place for Adolf Hitler and other Nazi officials.
Magda and Joseph married on 19 December 1931. Adolf Hitler was a witness at their wedding. Some people believed that Magda's marriage to Goebbels was partly planned. Since Hitler chose not to marry, it was thought that Magda, as the wife of a top Nazi official, could act as the "first lady" of Nazi Germany. Magda was ambitious and had good social connections.
Hitler became very fond of the Goebbels' children. He often visited their home in Berlin. He would relax there and talk with Joseph Goebbels, sometimes holding their baby daughter, Helga.
Magda had a close relationship with Hitler. She became part of his small group of female friends. She also acted as an unofficial representative for the Nazi government. She received letters from women across Germany asking for advice on family matters.
After 1933, the Goebbels family lived a very luxurious life. Their home in Berlin was redesigned. They also bought a villa on Schwanenwerder island and another one near Wandlitz.
Joseph and Magda Goebbels had six children:
- Helga (born 1932)
- Hilde (born 1934)
- Helmut (born 1935)
- Holde (born 1937)
- Hedda (born 1938)
- Heide (born 1940)
During the War
When World War II started, Magda's son from her first marriage, Harald Quandt, became a pilot in the Luftwaffe (German air force). He fought on the front lines. At home, Magda tried to be a good example of a patriotic mother. She trained as a Red Cross nurse. She also worked for an electronics company called Telefunken. She traveled to work by bus, just like her co-workers. She also helped entertain wives of foreign leaders and supported soldiers and war widows.
Both Joseph and Magda Goebbels gained social status from their close connection to Hitler. They remained loyal to him publicly. However, Magda sometimes expressed doubts in private. This was especially true when the war started going badly for Germany. In 1942, she reportedly turned off a speech by Hitler, saying it was "rubbish." In 1944, she said that Hitler no longer listened to reasonable advice.
There is no clear evidence that Magda tried to save her Jewish stepfather from the Holocaust. It is believed he died in the concentration camps. When asked about her husband's strong hatred of Jewish people, she said, "The Führer wants it this way, and Joseph must obey."
One German Jewish man, Felix Franks, later became a British soldier. He claimed that his grandparents received an exit visa from Germany with Magda Goebbels' help. His family believed she acted as a "protecting hand" because she had known his step-grandparents before the war.
Magda often suffered from poor health. Towards the end of the war, she had severe depression. She also had a painful condition called trigeminal neuralgia, which affects a nerve in the face. This often left her in bed or needing hospital care.
Final Days and Death
In April 1945, the Soviet Red Army entered Berlin. The Goebbels family moved into the Vorbunker, an underground shelter connected to the Führerbunker beneath the German government building.
Magda wrote a farewell letter to her son Harald, who was a POW in North Africa. In the letter, she explained that she and her children were staying in the bunker to end their lives honorably. She wrote that she stayed against her husband's wishes and that Hitler had offered to help her leave. She said that the world after Hitler and the Nazi Party was not worth living in. She took her children with her because she felt they were too good for such a life. She described her children as wonderful and brave, even as bombs shook the bunker. She wished Harald to be loyal to himself, his people, and his country.
Joseph Goebbels also added a note to Hitler's last will. He stated that he would not leave Berlin and would die in the bunker. He also said that Magda and their children supported his decision.
Magda was one of the last people to see Hitler and Eva Braun before they died by suicide on 30 April. The next day, 1 May, Magda and Joseph decided to end their children's lives. They arranged for a dentist to give their six children morphine to make them unconscious. Then, a cyanide capsule was crushed in each child's mouth.
After their children were dead, Magda and Joseph Goebbels went up to the Chancellery garden. There, they died by suicide.
Images for kids
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Goebbels' villa on Bogensee in 2008.
