Eva Braun: the longtime partner of one of history’s cruelest man -

A 17-year-old photographer's assistant who eventually joined Adolf Hitler’s inner circle, Eva Braun chose to live and die by the Führer's side. His long-term companion and brief wife, Braun managed to leave the world with valuable photographic evidence into the personal lives of the Nazi Party leaders. And while her name is forever linked to the Nazi Party and the Third Reich, Braun's personal story remains less well-known.

To learn more about the woman who lived in the shadow of one of history's most evil figures, be sure to check out this gallery.

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Origins -

Eva Braun was born in Munich on February 6, 1912, to Friedrich and Fanny Braun. Eva was the middle child alongside two sisters, Ilse and Gretl (all pictured here.)

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A young Braun -

Nine-year-old Braun, photographed second from right, at the Beilngries convent school in Beilngries, Germany, a small town north of Munich. 

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The Braun family -

Braun's parents were divorced in 1921, however they remarried in November 1922, likely for financial reasons due to the years of hyperinflation in Germany.

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Starting her work as a photographer -

At the age of 17, Braun was employed by Nazi Party official photographer Heinrich Hoffmann.

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Meeting the Führer -

Initially a shop assistant, Braun soon learned to use a camera and develop photographs, and in 1929, met Hitler, 23 years her senior, at Hoffmann's studio. Braun, Hitler, and Hoffmann are photographed here in 1942.

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Geli Raubal -

At that time, Hitler appeared to have been in a relationship with his half-niece Geli Raubal. However, following her suicide in 1931, he grew closer to Braun, who many said resembled Raubal.

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A tumultuous relationship -

The relationship was filled with tension, and Braun herself attempted suicide on two occasions.

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Staying over -

Following Braun's recovery from the first attempt in 1932, the pair seem to have escalated their relationship. She then began staying at Hitler's Munich apartment overnight often.

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Hitler refused to be seen with Braun in public -

In order to appeal to his female voters, Hitler felt it was important that he be presented as single to the German public. 

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A secret relationship -

Their relationship remained a secret and the pair were very rarely seen out together. The extent of their relationship was only revealed after the war.

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A way to be together -

However, working as a photographer, Braun was allowed to travel with Hitler's entourage without arising suspicion.

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Closer to Hitler -

In 1944, Braun was also allowed to join official functions after her sister, Gretl Braun, married high-ranking SS commander Hermann Fegelein. She could then be introduced as Fegelein's sister-in-law.

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Life at the Berghof -

The Berghof was Hitler's retreat in Berchtesgaden in the Bavarian Alps, where he could stay with his inner circle away from the public eye.

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Together in the Bavarian Alps -

In Berghof, Hitler and Braun had adjoining bedrooms and enjoyed a greater sense of freedom, spending a lot of time together. 

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Hostess of the Berghof -

Braun took on the role of hostess amongst the regular visitors, though she wasn't involved in running the household. She often invited friends and family to the Berghof and reportedly designed the work clothes for the chambermaids there.

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Living in a bubble -

Far from the harsh realities of World War II, most historians believe Braun created an idyllic life in the Bavarian Alps.

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A rare glimpse into their private life -

Often behind a camera, Braun created a large collection of home videos of Hitler and his inner circle.

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Famous names -

Largely filmed at the Berghof, the videos feature Hitler and a number of high-ranking Nazis, including Joseph Goebbels, Albert Speer, and Hermann Göring (pictured).

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Discovered footage -

Uncovered in 1972 by film historian Lutz Becker, Braun's footage showed high-ranking Nazis lounging on the terrace, drinking coffee, laughing, and relaxing with friends and family. 

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A horrifying reality -

The footage shattered the image of Hitler as a stern dictator and showed a human side, which to many audiences made it all the more horrifying.

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Braun was supposedly uninterested in politics -

Despite being the long-term partner of Hitler, Braun is said to have been uninterested in politics and wasn't even a member of the Nazi Party.

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No place for women in the government -

Whether or not Braun was truly interested in politics, this depiction mirrors the Nazi ideology that women had no place in government. 

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The role of a Nazi woman -

According to the Nazi ideology, men were strong leaders and women were simple homemakers.

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She insisted on joining Hitler in the Führerbunker -

By late 1944, both the Red Army and the Western Allies were advancing into Germany, and by April 23, 1945, Berlin had been surrounded. Braun left Bavaria and joined Hitler in the Führerbunker that same month. 

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The wedding -

As the Red Army was getting closer, Hitler finally conceded to marry Braun. With Joseph Goebbels and Martin Bormann present, the wedding ceremony took place in the Führerbunker after midnight on April 28-29, 1945.

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Married for less than 40 hours -

With little practice in using her new name, Braun went to sign "Eva B," before scratching the "B" and replacing it with "Hitler" when signing the marriage certificate. Pictured is the signed certificate. 

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The pair committed suicide together -

Rather than be captured by the Red Army, Hitler and Braun committed suicide on April 29, 1945. Hitler shot himself through the temple, and Braun took a cyanide pill. Their bodies were carried outside and burnt.

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Hitler's office in the Führerbunker -

Pictured is Hitler's office in the Führerbunker, where him and Braun were believed to have died. 

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Braun's family after the war -

Following Braun's death, both her parents and her two sisters lived long after the war had ended. Just a month after her suicide, her sister Gretl (right) gave birth to a daughter, who she named Eva.
Sources: (History Hit) (History Extra) (NPR) 
See also: The shadowy role of women in Germany during WWII

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