The Complex Legacies of Children of High-Ranking Members of the Third Reich
TLDR The children of high-ranking members of the Third Reich had diverse responses to their parents' legacy, with some embracing their ideology while others distanced themselves. Some sought redemption and spoke out against the horrors of the Nazi regime, while others remained staunch supporters.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
This episode explores the experiences of individuals who had to live with the legacy of parents who were high-ranking members of the Third Reich.
01:31
The children of high-ranking members of the Third Reich had varied responses to their parents, with some actively embracing their parents' ideology and others distancing themselves as much as possible.
03:00
Hitler's half-brother, Alois Jr., migrated to Britain and had a son named William Patrick Hitler, who changed his name to Stuart Houston and had four sons who made a pact to never have children because of their bloodline with Adolf Hitler.
04:19
Martin Bormann Jr., the son of Martin Bormann, sought sanctuary in a monastery, converted to Catholicism, became a priest, left the priesthood to get married, became a doctor of theology, and traveled around Germany and Austria speaking about the horrors of the Third Reich, but never personally condemned his father. Rolf, the son of Joseph Mengele, grew up thinking his father was dead, but eventually learned the truth and flew to Brazil to meet him, finding that his father was unrepentant about his Nazi past.
05:42
Gudrun Himmler, the daughter of Heinrich Himmler, remained a staunch supporter of her father and his Nazi beliefs throughout her life, while Eda Gehring defended her father and claimed he had no involvement in the worst atrocities of the Nazis.
07:04
The son of Hans Frank, Hitler's personal lawyer and governor of Nazi-occupied Poland, repudiated his father, became a journalist, and wrote books about his hatred for him, believing that his father was driven by greed and ambition and would have murdered anyone to get what he wanted.
08:28
The children of notable Nazi leaders, including Goebbels and his wife, were killed by their parents via cyanide capsules in the aftermath of Hitler's suicide, leaving them with no chance to grow up, defend or hate their parents.