“Secrets of the Fuhrer’s Family: What Hitler’s Relatives Were Really Doing During WWII”
During WWII, the now renamed ‘Mrs Wolff’ maintained a low profile, working as a typist in a hospital, with Hitler’s blessing.
But during this time, Paula met and fell in love with a medical officer with the SS, Erwin Jekelius, involved in the infamous Aktion T4- the Nazi euthanasia program. Paula informed Adolf of their intention to marry, and this time he did not give his blessing. The Fuehrer feared that this prospective brother-in-law may lay a claim on a future succession, and thus botched the wedding by transferring Jekelius to the Eastern front. Eventually, he was captured by the Red Army and died in a Gulag in 1952.
As noted, at the end of the war, Paula was interrogated and later released by the CIC. In her statements, she denied knowledge of the atrocities perpetrated by her brother’s regime, and even felt that Hitler himself hadn’t known of them, as well as expressing admiration for her brother, and sorrow for his eventual downfall, despite their at times fractured relationship. In her own words: ‘The personal fate of my brother affected me very much. He was still my brother, no matter what happened. His end brought unspeakable sorrow to me, as his sister.’
After being released from US custody, Paula moved back to Vienna, and then to Berchtesgaden in 1952, where she would be closely taken care of by former SS officers.
In 1959, she agreed to be interviewed by Peter Morlery, a British reporter working for ITV. In her interaction with Morley, Paula reiterated her admiration for her older brother, and once again stated that she did not believe he could have done anything horrible as so many said.
