Traudl Junge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Traudl Junge
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Junge in 1945
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| Born |
Gertraud Humps
16 March 1920 |
| Died | 10 February 2002 (aged 81) Munich, Bavaria, Germany
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| Occupation | Secretary, sub-editor, science reporter |
| Known for | Adolf Hitler's personal secretary during World War II |
| Spouse(s) |
Hans Hermann Junge
(m. 1943; died 1944) |
Gertraud "Traudl" Junge (born Humps; 16 March 1920 – 10 February 2002) was a German editor. She worked as Adolf Hitler's last private secretary. This was from December 1942 until April 1945, during World War II.
After typing Hitler's will, she stayed in the Berlin Führerbunker until he died. She was arrested and questioned by both Soviet and U.S. military forces in June 1945. Later, she worked as a secretary in West Germany. In her older years, she decided to share her memories. She said she didn't know about the terrible things happening during the war. However, she felt guilty for not trying to find out more. Her story was used in several movies, including the 2004 German film Downfall. This movie showed Hitler's last ten days.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gertraud "Traudl" Humps was born in Munich. Her father, Max Humps, was a master brewer and an army officer. Her mother was Hildegard (née Zottmann). Traudl had a younger sister named Inge, born in 1923.
When she was a teenager, Traudl wanted to become a ballerina. However, she was not accepted into a dance school. So, she decided to train as a secretary instead. She heard about a job opening on the Chancellery staff and applied for it.
Working for Adolf Hitler
Traudl Humps started working for Hitler in December 1942. She was the youngest of his personal secretaries. She was only 22 years old at the time.
Decades later, Junge said she "didn't know anything about politics." She added that she felt very guilty for "liking the greatest criminal ever to have lived." She explained, "I admit, I was fascinated by Adolf Hitler. He was a pleasant boss and a fatherly friend." She also said she "ignored all the warning voices inside me." She enjoyed her time with him almost until the very end.
In June 1943, Traudl married Waffen-SS officer Hans Hermann Junge. Hitler encouraged their marriage. Hans had worked as a valet and orderly for Hitler. Sadly, Hans died in battle in France in August 1944. Traudl worked by Hitler's side in several places. These included Berlin, the Berghof in Berchtesgaden, and Wolfsschanze in East Prussia. She then returned to Berlin, working in the Führerbunker.
Life in Berlin, 1945
In 1945, Junge was with Hitler in Berlin. During his final days there, Hitler often ate lunch with his secretaries, Junge and Gerda Christian. Junge later remembered Gerda asking Hitler if he would leave Berlin. Hitler strongly refused this idea. Both secretaries recalled that Hitler made it clear his body should not be found by the Soviets.
On May 1, Junge left the Führerbunker with a group. This group was led by Waffen-SS general Wilhelm Mohnke. Other people in the group included Hitler's pilot Hans Baur and his bodyguard chief Hans Rattenhuber. Secretaries Gerda Christian and Else Krüger were also there. Hitler's dietician Constanze Manziarly and physician Ernst-Günther Schenck also joined them.
Junge, Christian, and Krüger managed to get out of Berlin and reach the River Elbe. The rest of the group was found by Soviet Red Army troops on May 2. They were hiding in a cellar. The Soviet troops handed over those from the Führerbunker to SMERSH. They were questioned to find out what happened in the bunker during the war's last weeks.
After the War
Even though Junge reached the Elbe, she could not get to the western Allied lines. So, she went back to Berlin. She arrived about a month after leaving, hoping to take a train west when they started running again. On June 9, she was arrested by two Soviet military officials. She had been living under the name Gerda Alt for about a week. She was kept in Berlin for questioning.
While in prison, she heard sad stories from her Soviet guards. They spoke about what the German military had done to their families in the Soviet Union. Junge then realized that much of what she thought she knew about the war was only what Nazi propaganda had told the German people. She understood that the way Germans were treated by the Soviets was a response to what Germans had done.
Junge was held in several jails. She was often questioned about her role with Hitler and the events around his death. By December 1945, she was released from prison. However, she had to stay in the Soviet part of Berlin. On New Year's Eve 1945, she was admitted to a hospital in the British sector. She had diphtheria and stayed there for two months. While she was there, her mother helped her get papers. These papers allowed her to move from the British sector in Berlin to Bavaria.
She received these papers on February 2, 1946. She traveled from Berlin, through the Soviet zone, to the British zone. From there, she went south to Bavaria, which was in the American Zone. Junge was held by the Americans for a short time in early 1946. She was questioned about her time in the Führerbunker. After that, she was freed and allowed to live in post-war West Germany.
Later Life and Legacy
After the war, Junge appeared in two episodes of the 1973 TV show The World at War. She was also interviewed for the 1975 book The Bunker. She worked as a secretary for many years. She was also the chief secretary for the German magazine Quick. Junge lived briefly in Australia twice, where her younger sister lived. However, her request to live there permanently was denied because of her past connection to the Nazis.
In 1989, Junge's story about her life during the war was published. It was part of the book Voices from the Bunker. Also that year, she was interviewed for the BBC documentary The Fatal Attraction of Adolf Hitler. She talked a lot about her thoughts on Hitler and her final days with him. In 1991, she appeared in the TV series Hitler's Henchmen.
In 2002, her own book of memories, Until the Final Hour, was released. She wrote it with author Melissa Müller. This book, which described her time working for Hitler, received a lot of media attention. She was also interviewed for the 2002 documentary film Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary. This film also gained much attention.
Traudl Junge died from cancer in Munich on February 10, 2002. She was 81 years old. She reportedly said before she died, "Now that I've let go of my story, I can let go of my life." She is buried at Nordfriedhof München.
Two years later, in 2004, some of Junge's experiences with Hitler were shown in the film Downfall. This movie was nominated for an Academy Award. Actress Alexandra Maria Lara played Traudl Junge in the film. Parts of Junge's interviews are shown at the beginning and end of the movie.
See also
- Christa Schroeder
- Erna Flegel
- Johanna Wolf
