Souvenirs of war

This lifesize bronze bust of Dietrich Eckart by the G. Wagner foundry of Munich was displayed in the Berghof's Great Hall from 1936-1945. As the spiritual father of Nazism, Eckart was Hitler’s ‘pole star’ – the guiding force that shaped his ideas, propagated the ‘Hitler myth’, and brought the horrors of the Third Reich into being.

“Follow Hitler. He will dance, but it is I who has called the tune!”

– Dietrich Eckart

How the bust found its way out of the Berghof in May 1945 is unclear. What is known for sure is that it surfaced in 2005 when it was purchased from the family of Dr. Rudolf Müller (1912-2009). On May 4, 1945, Berchtesgaden District Administrator, Karl Theodor Jacob, called in Müller as an interpreter during the peaceful handover of the town to the US Third Infantry Division. In later years, Müller was appointed as Berchtesgaden’s District Counsel and Deputy District Administrator. During the occupation, he worked as a defense attorney in the military tribunals.

A side-by-side comparison with a high-resolution image of the Berghof bust shows an identical match – particularly on the more visible areas of Eckart’s left collar.

More about Dietrich Eckart

Dietrich Eckart (1868-1923) was a poet, playwright, political activist, and a founding member of the German Workers’ Party (Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, DAP). He was also one of Hitler’s earliest mentors – and arguably the spiritual father of Nazism.

According to Nazi legend, after hearing Hitler speak publicly for the first time in 1919, Eckart proclaimed: "That's Germany's next great man – one day the whole world will talk about him.” Taking Hitler under his wing, Eckart would go on to coach Hitler – lending him books, introducing him to wealthy donors, advising on his style of speaking and writing – and so propagating what became known as the “Hitler myth.”

In 1923, on the run from the German government, Eckart fled to the Obersalzberg – hiding out in the Pension Moritz, which would later become the famous Platterhof Hotel. His tutelage of Hitler would end in December 1923, when Eckart died. But the seed was sown, and the die was cast.

Hitler later told one of his secretaries that his friendship with Eckart was "one of the best things he experienced in the 1920s", and that he never again had a friend with whom he felt such "a harmony of thinking and feeling.”

Elements of the 101st Airborne Division began arriving in Berchtesgaden on the morning of May 5, 1945 – just hours after the Berghof and Eagle’s Nest were captured by the French 2nd Armored Division and US 3rd Infantry Division.

After the French forces vacated the site, a squad from C Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne, occupied the Eagle’s Nest. Upon arrival, they hoisted the American flag over the building and began searching for souvenirs.

This flag, measuring approximately 9 feet by 5 feet, with 48 stars, is believed to be the one raised over the Eagle’s Nest at that time.

At some point before the 101st departed for nearby Zell am See and Kaprun, the flag came into the possession of John Cipolla of Company C, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment. Whether he removed it himself or received it in recognition of his status as one of only two original ‘Toccoa men’ left in his squad remains unknown. But he kept it: the ultimate keepsake from a hard-fought campaign across Europe.

Later, Cipolla marked the flag with a handwritten inscription: “John Cipolla, 101st Airborne Division, May 4th 1945, Adolf Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest.”

Like many wartime souvenirs, the date he recorded was slightly off — likely a simple error, as the 101st arrived on May 5th.

After the war, Cipolla returned to his hometown of Rochester, New York, where he worked as a lab technician in the electroplating industry until his retirement. He passed away in 2017, and the flag was sold several years later to a local collector with an interest in WW2.

At the war’s end, 12 ranking commanders of the 101st Airborne Division were presented with a gold-plated hand-hammered silver chalice, taken from Hermann Göring’s treasure trove hidden away near Berchtesgaden. Each chalice was carefully engraved with their name and battle campaigns.

The chalices were made by Göring’s jeweller of choice, Zeitner of Berlin. On the front is engraved Göring’s coat of arms – while the reverse is marked with the family crest of his wife, Emmy Sonnemann. Given just 12 were made, it’s likely they were used at the Göring/Sonnemann wedding banquet on April 10, 1935 – the two crests signifying the unification of the two families.

The chalice shown here was engraved and presented to Brigadier General Anthony “NUTS” McAuliffe. McAuliffe was the Division Artillery Commander – famed for his actions while in temporary command of US forces during the infamous Battle of the Bulge at Bastogne. When invited by the Commander of German forces to surrender, McAuliffe’s ballsy reply of “NUTS!” signed “The American Commander” made headlines around the world, and quickly became legend.

This particular chalice is significantly larger and heavier than the ‘Sink’ chalice type given to officers of the 506th.

Of the countless souvenirs liberated from buildings in and around Europe during and immediately after WW2, Adolf Hitler’s silver cigar box was (and still is) arguably the most sought after and revered. They were made in extremely limited numbers (just two in the Eagle’s Nest) – and a mere handful remain in existence today; buried deep within advanced collections, and quietly hidden away by veterans’ families.

Here is one of those cigar boxes, manufactured by the firm Franz & Hermann Wandinger (FHW). Incredibly, its original contents remain untouched after all these years.

When French and American units arrived at the Berghof on May 4 1945, they had the pick of the place. But they weren’t the first to plunder its riches. Instead, that was done by the locals who – as early as the end of April – began taking food, furniture, silverware and pretty much anything else they could carry out of the rooms and tunnels below. Much of their booty was either consumed, destroyed or sold to collectors in the years after the war. But, even today, some pieces remain quietly hidden away or forgotten about in attics.

Here is one such example: a large serving tray almost half a metre long, bearing Adolf Hitler’s personal monogram – which surfaced recently at a house in Austria, just across the border from Germany. It was taken from the Berghof by a local, and has remained unpolished since the war.

Large trays like this one would have been used to serve tea, coffee, Kuchen and other delicacies to Hitler and his guests on the Berghof terrace – or during his notoriously tiresome fireside chats in the Great Hall.

This Adolf Hitler silver cigarette box was removed from the Berghof by Fred O’Donnell, a member of the 10th Field Artillery attached to the 3rd Infantry Division. Along with it, Fred also took a leather-bound Ehrenbürger – or certificate of honorary citizenship for Adolf Hitler – from the town of Nebringen, Germany — and numerous other items, including a ‘Der Berghof’ postcard album which were given to visiting dignitaries.

The Adolf Hitler cigarette box and postcard album were the last pieces Fred kept, until his death in 2012. The Ehrenbürger was sold to another collector some years ago, and reunited with the cigarette box in 2020.

Included in the group are several letters Fred received from prospective buyers dating back to the early 1980s, along with a period newspaper article detailing his finds.

This particular cigarette box was made by the Munich jewelers Heiden, who also made the Chiemsee Cauldron.

Here is a silver Adolf Hitler matchbox holder, or matchsafe, produced by the firm Franz & Hermann Wandinger (FHW). As with the AH cigar box shown here, the box still contains its original inner sleeve and matches – which leads me to believe it was taken from the Eagle’s Nest, purely because this building was used so infrequently.

In 1934, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler acquired a sprawling villa at the north end of Lake Tegernsee in Gmund, Austria – just 30 miles south of Munich. He would call it Lindenfycht, and it was here that his estranged wife, Margarete, and their daughter Gudrun, would live until allied troops closed in at the end of April 1945.

Just a week later, soldiers from the 3rd US Army arrived, and began ransacking the property for prized souvenirs and valuable military intelligence.

One of these early visitors was John Bodenshok of the 92nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron. According to after action reports, elements of his unit entered Austria on May 1, 1945 – and presumably Bodenshok was among them.

While at the villa, Bodenshok acquired several items, including a large photo album presented to Himmler – plus the two items shown here: one of Himmler’s exquisite gold-edged car pennants, and a personal phonebook. The phonebook is not in Himmler’s distinctive spidery handwriting, and was most likely owned by Hedwig Potthast or another of his secretaries.

Regardless, the amount of high-level and inner sanctum-level names featured in the phonebook – including Eva Braun (“Munich 480073”); Joachim von Ribbentrop (Berlin 16441”) and Martin Bormann (“Berlin, 117411”), to name but a fewleave little doubt it belonged to Himmler. There are also entries for the film director Leni Riefenstahl (“Berlin 890100”); Hitler’s interior designer, Gerdy Troost (“Munich 516434”); the Munich artist, Sofie Stork (“Munich 21864”); and none other than Hitler’s sister, Paula Hitler (“Wien 12019”).

“The Himmlers had lived in their Munich town apartment for just under a year because in 1934 they had already purchased Haus Lindenfycht in Gmund, on the Tegernsee. They had bought it from the singer Alois Burgstaller for 65,000 gold marks with the financial support of the NSDAP, thereby realizing their shared dream of a house on a lake.

“Haus Lindenfycht stood on an extensive property that offered sufficient room to raise ponies, sheep, pigs, and deer. There was a fish pond, a greenhouse, a private dock, and a meadow behind the house on which one could play croquet in summer and fill with water in winter to make a skating pool.”

– The Private Heinrich Himmler: Letters of a Mass Murderer, Katrin Himmler and Michael Wildt

The gold-edged car pennant still retains its original celluloid cover (to protect it from the elements when in use), along with its original clip and rope for securing it to the front of Himmler’s car.

While the official history of the 92nd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron (Mechanized) doesn’t specifically mention visiting Himmler’s house, Bodenshok’s unit (Troop D) were in Murnau at the foot of the Bavarian Apls at the beginning of May 1945 – a mere 45-minute drive from Gmund. Close enough!

Joe Johnson was an interpreter with the 290th Engineer Combat Battalion, attached to the French 2nd Armored Division. Together with the French, he and his squad were the first allied troops to enter Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. With the elevator out of service, and no keys to the teahaus, they broke into the building and, after securing it, helped themselves to souvenirs.

Among the treasures taken by Johnson was the enormous 30ft x 6.5ft (9m x 2m) linen tablecloth pictured here, lined with a 7” lace border and central motif design. He also took Hitler’s personal phone book from his study.

This exact tablecloth is visible adorning the huge banquet table in the Eagle’s Nest dining room. The tablecloth also featured in a newspaper article about Johnson and his exploits during the war, which was published soon after his arrival back in the US.

Legend had it this tablecloth had been cut into two separate pieces in 1945 and divided among the squad, but this has since been proven to be incorrect.

The exact tablecloth shown in this photo was removed from the Berghof by a member of the 693rd Field Artillery Battalion attached to the US 3rd Infantry Division in May 1945. 

To Hitler's right is Fritz Klingenberg (1912-1945) receiving his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 May 1941. Just behind the table you can see part of the famous Berghof picture window looking onto the Alps.  

The German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront/DAF) was a Nazi organization that replaced trade unions in Germany after they were banned by Hitler in 1933. It was created to control German workers and ensure they were sufficiently productive to support the country's rearmament program – emphasizing national economic goals over the well-being of individual workers.

It was one of the largest Nazi organizations, with over 35,000 full-time employees by 1939. It also operated the Bank of German Labour, a major financial institution.

Here is an original DAF banner owned by the Berchtesgaden branch – still bearing its original pole loops. This banner would have accompanied members of the DAF during marches through the town and in nearby cities during the larger rallies. It was brought home by a GI after the war, and surfaced from the family in the early 2000s.

While the Kehlsteinhaus (‘Eagle’s Nest’) is perhaps the most famous of Hitler’s Obersalzberg boltholes, the Mooslahnerkopf teehaus was the one he visited most often. Unlike the Berghof, its tucked away location ensured it remained largely unknown by arriving allied forces — and was instead looted by local residents who entered the building soon after the RAF bombing raid of April 25 1945.

Here is a silver cigar box taken from the teehaus as the Obersalzberg descended into chaos. It surfaced in the possession of a local family in nearby Königssee in 1985, when it was purchased by a local antiques dealer and collector.

A local historian recalls the find:

“I remembered this acquisition from when I was 14 and I was already doing research. The collector told me about this discovery at the time, as I had just met him for the first time in 1985. I believe he acquired the items in Königssee. He felt that he had made an amazing discovery.”

The cigar box is a different design to the most-commonly encountered Adolf Hitler cigar boxes. Just one other example is known to exist in this style - owned by the family of a veteran who served in the 10th Field Artillery, attached to the 3rd Infantry Division.

It was manufactured by the renowned Munich firm of jewellers Franz Hermann Wandinger (FHW). 

Official records list just two cigar cutters used in the Eagle's Nest. This one was brought back by Adler Muller of Charlie Co, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. 

“Once inside [The Eagle’s Nest], we began to search for valuables. Tapping the panelled walls in the huge dining room, we found one place that had a different sound. A small strip of molding was moved to reveal a lock. Having found a string of keys in the basement, we finally opened a wall safe containing fourteen trays of Hitler’s silverware. Since each piece had the Nazi insignia on it, this qualified our find as ‘legal war booty’.

All the trays were placed on the large dining room table. The sergeant made five piles of silverware pieces until everyone agreed they were as equal as possible. Then we each chose a pile, which we carried around until we were able to mail home after officer inspection.”

Adler Muller, 32869562

Read more about Adler Muller

The cigar cutter bears the silver mark of the Bruckmann firm, denoting manufacture by the cutlery firm Peter Bruckmann & Söhne, located in the ancient industrial town of Heilbronn on the Neckar River in the old Republic of Württemberg. Bruckmann was the major producer of the AH Formal/State Silver Service, as well as the so-called ‘Informal pattern’.

Here are two Adolf Hitler wine glasses removed from the Eagle's Nest by two of the very first allied troops to enter the building in May 1945. They are exceptionally rare. Most of these wine glasses were broken immediately after liberation, on the journey 'home', or in the post-war years. Just a handful are known to exist today.

The white wine glass (Weissweinkelche) shown here on the left surfaced at a flea market in Sacramento, California, in 2004. It was probably liberated by a member of the 290th Engineer Combat Battalion, or 101st Airborne Division.

The red wine glass (Rotweinkelche) on the right, was in a French collection for many years, and originally came from a member of the French 2nd Armored Division.

The height and specifications of both glasses precisely match those detailed in an invoice marked Teehaus Kehlstein, sent to Martin Bormann in October 1941. This wine glass design is also visible in period photos from the time.

Pfc Clarence Overman joined the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne late in the war and arrived in Europe just after the Battle of the Bulge.

In May 1945 he, along with his squad, was one of the first to arrive in Berchtesgaden—ex-home of the now-dead Hitler and his infamous Eagle's Nest. Clarence and his squad were selected to enter the building, where they took many pieces of AH-monogrammed silverware, including this 10.5 inch cake knife (one of only four) and a beer glass coaster (one of 36). In the background is the flyleaf of Clarence's 'Currahee' scrapbook, presented to all 506th men at the war's end. 

During his time in Berchtesgaden, Clarence also visited Hitler's study inside his main residence, the Berghof, where he was interviewed by Yank Magazine. A cutting from that article appears below, plus a photo of Clarence sat on Hitler's office safe. 

This one-of-a-kind plaid AH monogrammed tablecloth measuring approximately 7ft x 6ft was removed from Hitler’s Berghof by a GI in May 1945. This is the exact tablecloth that adorned the small round breakfast table in the bay window of the Berghof’s dining hall – and is clearly visible in period shots from the time.

Also shown here is a matching napkin of the same plaid pattern, which was removed by a GI in the 10th Field Artillery, attached to the US 3rd Infantry Division.

You can see other examples of this plaid pattern (taken by a member of the French 2nd Armoured Division) in this video. Skip to 26 minutes. Also visible on the website of Paris Musées, as a documented French 2nd Armored Division war souvenir.

Hans Junge was Hitler's valet and husband of Traudl Junge – Hitler's last secretary whose story is dramatized in the movie, Downfall. 

Handwritten in black ink, Hitler's personal dedication thanks Hans Junge for his service and wishes him the best on his wedding day, June 19 1943. The photo shows significant wear and I always wondered how and where this was incurred. Out of the blue, a fellow collector (thank you Alex, in Sweden) drew my attention to a couple of passages in Traudl’s Junge’s autobiography, Until the Final Hour.

Describing her last hours in the Führerbunker following Hitler’s suicide, she recalls heading to her bunker room in the New Reich Chancellery, where she stored her “possessions, books and wedding presents.” Later that evening she joins an escape party led by Otto Günsche and hurriedly takes a few of these personal belongings with her:

“I take no money with me, no provisions, no clothes, just a great many cigarettes and a few pictures I can’t part with.”

Given the crease marks, staining and tears, it seems more than likely this photo is one of those sacred items Traudl Junge grabbed before fleeing to safety. Years later, she would sell or give the photo to an autograph collector – and include a hand-signed xerox of the original for good measure, also shown here.

This silver AH-monogrammed bottle stopper was removed from the Eagle’s Nest in May 1945. While the veteran’s name and unit are sadly lost to time, he was most likely a member of C Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. In the years following the war, most of the Eagle’s Nest silverware to surface has been directly attributable to men from that unit – including sizeable hauls from the families of Pfc. Adler Muller and Pfc. Clarence Overman.

Given that just 10 of these flaschenkorkes were made exclusively for the Eagle’s Nest, they arguably rank as among the rarest of all Hitler’s silverware seized by allied troops at the end of the war.

There were eight coffee tables like this one in the Eagle's Nest — each made of walnut with a one-piece marble top. Seven were trashed in the years after the war, when the Platterhof was used as an R&R facility for visiting US army personnel. The table shown below is the last known surviving example, and is untouched since the war. 

This monogrammed silver platter and oversized leather-bound manuscript were taken from the Berghof by Liliane Valter, a member of the French ‘Rochambelles’ on May 5 1945. The Rochambelles were a group of just 51 French female volunteer nurses attached to the French 2nd Armoured Division, all the way through the war from North Africa to Berchtesgaden.

The manuscript is 46 pages long, and all hand-calligraphed on thick parchment paper. The first page holds a dedication which reads:

“Meinem Führer in ehrfurcht und dankbarkeit zu seinen fünfzigste geburstag von herbert fischer”

(“My Führer in awe and gratitude on his fiftieth birthday, from Herbert Fischer”)

The silver platter, measuring 16.5 inches across, was manufactured by the Wellner firm – Sächsische Metallwarenfabrik August Wellner Söhne AG, or the Saxon Metalware Factory of August Wellner’s Sons, Inc. – located in the village of Aue in Saxony, in the east-central German region known as the Erzgebirge, or ‘Ore Mountains’. It is numbered on the underside and, of course, rollstamped.

From Women of Valor, The Rochambelles on the WWII Front, by Ellen Hampton

“A captain in the room next to Zizon’s collected an array of sterling silver, platters, teapots, forks, knives, plates, all with the initials A.H. She saw the treasure when she passed by his open door, and couldn’t resist a comment in his direction. He said ‘You know my wife’s initials are the same. This will make her very happy.’ Another Rochambelle gave her a plate with Hitler’s seal on it, as a soldier had given her two of them.”

Eva Braun first met Hitler in 1929 while working as an assistant in Heinrich Hoffmann’s photographic studio. After a rocky start (including two known suicide attempts by Eva in 1932 and 1935) Hitler finally relented and acquired a small apartment for her and her sister on Widenmayerstraße 42 in August 1935.

By this time, Hitler was Chancellor of Germany – yet Eva’s parents (especially her father) were far from happy with the scandalously casual nature of the relationship.

Whether as a gesture of his commitment to the relationship or to appease the parental protests, Hitler presented Eva’s mother, Franziska, with this ink-signed and dedicated photo on October 12 1935.

It reads: “To Frau Franziska Braun, with sincere adoration (aufrichtiger verehrung), Adolf Hitler.”

“In fact, Eva Braun’s departure from the parental home in August 1935, did not mark a break with the family…No conclusions about Franziska Braun’s own personal relationship with Hitler can be drawn. She was, however, the only member of Braun’s family whom Hitler mentioned in his last will and testament.”

– Eva Braun: Life With Hitler, Heike B. Gortemaker

In the final days of the war, Eva Braun’s mother was hiding out at the Berghof and most likely had the photo with her then, along with a few other personal belongings. She most likely left it behind when she eventually fled ahead of allied forces arriving on the afternoon of May 3.

Just hours later, the photo was found by Robert Eli Jones, F Company, 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. In later life, Jones would recall removing the photo from a “heavy silver frame” – then rolling it up and storing it in an empty mortar round container, where it has remained ever since.

Sometime in the 1960s, the veteran gave the photo and the container to his nephew, who kept it for over 40 years until selling it after replying to a militaria ‘Want Ad’ in a local paper.

An identical inscribed AH photo is visible on the dressing table of Eva’s Widenmayerstraße apartment, photographed presumably between her arrival there in August 1935 and her subsequent move to Wasserburgerstrasse in March following year. The placement of Hitler’s handwriting appears slightly different in this example. Presumably he gave one signed photo to Eva, and a matching one to her mother.

Heinrich Hoffmann’s pencil ‘studio’ signature also appears above Hitler’s. On the reverse of the photo, also in pencil, is written Mutter Braun.

Sometime after the Germans invaded Holland in May 1940, Jaap Snatager joined the Dutch resistance. Hunted by the Germans, he went into hiding in December 1944 – and was later chosen to go to London as part of the Special Assignments Bureau. While in the UK, he was recommended for the elite Special Air Service (SAS), and would be one of only a handful of men to successfully pass the gruelling selection process.

In April 1945, Jaap took part in Operation Keystone. As part of a 17-man unit, he parachuted into occupied Holland with orders to disorganise the Germans and carry out sabotage raids. His unit was involved in a series of firefights, during which they placed explosive charges on railway tracks and shot up a freight train.

Japp died in 1974.

Included in the personal effects left to his family was a large heavy pale green glazed tile, with a label on the back reading: Oorlogsbuit Tegel uit Hitlers badkamer (‘War souvenir, taken from Hitler’s bathroom’). In actual fact, the tile was removed from the kachelofen (tiled stove) in the Berghof’s stube, or living room. The stove was installed in 1936 during the property’s transformation from the old Haus Wachenfeld into the new and much larger Berghof. Each tile was designed and hand-painted by Hitler’s ‘artist in residence’, Sofie Stork.

“The former staff room at Haus Wachenfeld became the living room. The green stove with its much-admired tiles made it the most comfortable room at the Berghof. Once the ban on smoking was lifted for the early and late hours it became a great favourite. Sofie Stork, (Wilhelm) Brückner’s friend, was a very gifted artist and had painted various scenes on the stove tiles. The female guests particularly would settle on the sofa near the warm stove.”

He Was My Chief: The Memoirs of Adolf Hitler’s Secretary, Christa Schroeder

After the war, the tile was framed in wood and plaster of Paris, and hung on a wall with Jaap’s cherished Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife. I have since carefully removed the frame and white plaster from the tile, although parts remains here and there. Beneath the plaster, chiselling marks around the back rim of the tile reveal how it was prized out from the stove.

Over the years, several examples of printed telephone directories used at the Berghof and Obersalzberg have surfaced, but this is believed to be one of only three known examples in this more official, hard-backed, style.

It came from the family of a 101st Airborne veteran who was among the first to reach the Eagle’s Nest. The veteran’s details are lost to time, but he told his family that he and his squad didn’t use the elevator up to the teahouse because they thought it was booby trapped. Besides, it was nothing for him to hike up the mountain because he was so used to doing the six mile run up and down Currahee Mountain during training.

While there, he also visited the Berghof, where he removed this telephone directory “from Hitler’s bedside”. Printed in April 1944, it has been updated by house staff in several places, and also holds an overprinted section, typed in an enlarged typeface to allow for Hitler’s failing eyesight.

The same veteran also brought back one of Hitler’s library books, called Vom Werden deutscher Filmkunst Der Tonfilm. This was a commercially-available publication, which people could fill with collectable cards.

At some point, the veteran marked the inside back cover with an ink stamp bearing the paratrooper motto: From the sky we lead.

“Hitler was an avid cinema-goer. He remained a film buff after becoming Chancellor, but instead of going to the cinema, he had films screened privately in the Chancellery or his retreat on the Obersalzberg.”

Hitler: Ascent 1889–1939, Volker Ulrich

Hitler’s personal music record collection numbered in the many hundreds. At the Berghof, these records were stored in a concealed cupboard in the Great Hall – all individually labelled and catalogued, and bearing a Berghof inventory sticker. The cupboard also contained a gramophone, which was operated by Martin Bormann.

Here are four folders (comprising 33 Berghof music records) removed from the tunnels under the Berghof in May 1945, where the collection was moved for safekeeping as the allies closed in.

Three of the folders were taken by Major Harry Vernon Anderson, who served as a G-5 (Military Government) Officer with the 101st Airborne Division, from 1942. While in Berchtesgaden, he was responsible for collating and inventorizing the vast Hermann Göring art collection. Between shifts, he was given written permission by Chief of Staff, Colonel Ned D. Moore, to remove these phonograph records from Hitler’s (Berghof) tunnel.

Artists include Wagner, Verdi, Handel, Strauss and the Austrian composer, Joseph Haydn.

“In these cosy surroundings, Hitler liked to beguile himself with a little music. His favourites were extracts from the Wagner operas; then, almost as a concession, would come the Beethoven symphonies and the music of Richard Strauss. At these ‘musical causeries by the fireside’, Bormann, whom he dubbed ‘The Master of the Archives’, gave proof of his musical appreciation by taking on the job of putting on the records.”

Hitler Was My Friend: The Memoirs of Hitler's Photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann.

A fourth folder of Hitler’s music records, taken by an unknown GI, still bears the original catalogue numbers on the spine.

Many items purported to have once been the property of Eva Braun have surfaced over the years. The vast majority – in fact 99.99% of them – are fake, forged, or just plain junk. But, very occasionally, legitimate pieces come to light. Here is one such example.

This crocodile leather wallet was bequeathed to Eva Braun’s best friend, Herta Schneider, just weeks before her suicide with Hitler on April 30 1945. Finely embossed with her ‘EB’ monogram, the original property tag still remains inside one of the pockets.

“ 'This is the room of the Führer,’ explained Gretl Braun. ‘And this thing here is the room for suitcases.’ Just to explain, this was a small chamber-type room full of the most precious suitcases, most of them made of crocodile leather.”

– Anna Plaim, (Eva Braun’s chambermaid) Living With Hitler, Accounts of Hitler’s Household Staff

In the 1990s, Herta Schneider passed the wallet – together with a handwritten letter from Eva to Herta – to a local collector and antiques dealer in Berchtesgaden.

The pieces shown here are from Hitler's Eagle's Nest tea set and were sent home by Joseph / Joe Johnson of the 290th Combat Engineers – one of the first units up the Kehlstein mountain in May 1945. The pattern is known as 'Red Dragon' and is manufactured by Meissen, even today.

Each piece is handpainted, and the undersides are numbered.

The steel container shown below was taken from the kitchens inside the building and used to ship some of the pieces home. One piece didn't make it intact, and was post-war repaired.

This seat cushion was removed from the Eagle's Nest in June 1945 by a member of the English armed forces. No two cushions had the same pattern layout—and this exact one is visible in period photos from the time. The soldiers in the background are with the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. 

Each Christmas, Hitler would send lavish gifts to his inner circle, senior staff, and loyal Party members.

The gifts would first be listed on a piece of paper, and his adjutants tasked with sourcing them from the most exclusive stores across Berlin and Munich.

Among the watches, busts and porcelain sets, were gold-plated Goldfink ‘Wunderfüller’ fountain pens — sold by the Goldfink stationery company of Berlin. These pens were very sought after at the time, due to their innovative filling system.

After Hitler gave his approval, the pens and other gifts were engraved by the finest jewelers of the time with “Weihnachten” (Christmas) followed by his signature, and the year — in this case, 1937.

“Towards Christmas, several men were ordered to look around the shops all over the city and purchase items listed on a piece of paper, which they then deposited in the Reich Chancellery and in the Munich apartment. There, Hitler himself would inspect the paintings, busts, statues, porcelain sets, watches, fountain pens, etc. and decide which object should go to whom as a present (all items made of gold were always first engaged with his initials).” Karl Wilhelm Krause. Living with Hitler, Accounts of Hitler’s Household Staff.

“[One Christmas] I received a gold fountain pen…engraved with his name, and “Christmas 1938.” At Hitler's Side: The Memoirs of Hitler's Luftwaffe Adjutant 1937–1945, Nicolaus von Below.

Only 3 other examples of these pens are known to exist. Two (dated 1936) were removed from the Berghof by a Major General of the 101st Airborne Division, and are now owned by private collectors. The third, dated 1938, is also in private hands.

Despite being engraved as a gift, this particular pen was in fact kept in Hitler’s Prinzregentenplatz apartment in Munich, before being ‘souvenired’ by one of his staff at the end of the war. It was then sold to a private collector in Germany in the 1980s.

Interestingly, in 1985 this same collector wrote to Albert Fink, owner of the Goldfink company. Herr Fink confirmed that his business did indeed “deliver writing implements to the Reich Chancellery” during the period.

These silver chalices were awarded to officers of the 506th PIR 101st Airborne Division at the end of the war.

They were originally discovered in Schloss Fischhorn, Austria, then later modified with the addition of the undersized silver jump wings, plus a hand-engraving of the officer’s name and campaigns.

The silver used to make the jump wings allegedly came from silver coins found by Lt Ed Shames in a boxcar parked in the Landsberg area (Source: Mark Bando), plus pieces of silverware from Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest.

The underside of each chalice is marked ‘A.KLAMMER INNSBRUCK’

This business still operates today, as a small jewellery workshop.

I contacted the owner to see if he had any paperwork relating to the original manufacture of these pieces.

His grandfather was “A.KLAMMER” (Alois Klammer). During the period 1938-1945, his grandfather made only sports trophies and silver Taufbechers, or baptism cups for infants. Unfortunately, any paperwork around these pieces has been lost to time, but it seems likely his grandfather made a batch of these Taufbechers for SS troops stationed at Schloss Fischhorn, where they were stored until liberation by 101st Airborne troops in May/June 1945.

“My father, back in 1945, was only 13 years old, but he still remembers it quite well.

Because of his memory of that time, the American military came to my grandfather in 1945 with a larger amount of German Mark coins (currency then silver) and some other larger pieces (presumably war booty).

To make such cups, as shown in the pictures, to customize. My uncle, my father's brother, drove to the Plansee plants to remelt this large amount of silver and let silverplate be made of it, it was a few kilograms, then a larger quantity of cups, according to my father's memories. 15 pcs. Made for the American military, so completely redesigned!”

From this information, one theory is that after discovering the initial batch, the 101st troops visited Alois Klammer with enough silver coins and AH silverware to make another 15 pieces, plus the jump wings – then hand engrave each one.

Little is known about the original owner of this chalice, Lt. Robert E. Rutan. According to Don Burgett’s book, Rutan fought in Operation Market Garden, where he was injured. According to an interview with Rutan in 2000, he made over 350 parachute jumps and also fought with the 82nd Airborne. What’s known for sure is that Rutan was part of A Company, and appears on a 1945 506th PIR roster as a 2nd Lt.

Also shown here, an un-engraved example of another chalice variant given to 101st Airborne officers at the end of the war.

After the war, countless GIs and other allied soldiers visited the Berghof. One of the more distinguished parties was a group of four US Senators who dropped by during their tour of war-torn Germany at the end of May 1945. On arrival at the Berghof, the Senators were led by senior members of the 101st Airborne Division into the main building – where they stopped to admire the view from the Berghof’s famous picture window.

Next, they headed into the tunnels below. As they exited the labyrinth some time later, they were each filmed holding souvenirs – with one member, Ernest McFarland, holding the exact folder of 12 music records shown here. Each one bears a Berghof inventory label, and the collection includes composers such as Rossini, Tschaikovsky and even a selection of Russian folk music. At some point, McFarland seemed intent on sharing the records with his fellow travellers, as the record sleeves are labeled accordingly in pencil by name (“Capehart”, “Wheeler”, “Hawkes” and “Mac”).

The records surfaced some years back, during a house clearance in AZ – Ernest McFarland ‘s home state.

After basic training at Fort Wolters, Texas, Robert Fuller was picked to join an anti-tank squad, specialising in 37mm and 57mm anti-tank weaponry. He then sailed to Europe on a converted luxury liner – docking in Gibraltar, then eventually Naples, where he spent Thanksgiving 1944. He was assigned to Company C, 401st Glider Infantry Regiment, and during his time in the Battle of the Bulge, his unit reflagged as Company L, 3rd Battalion, 327th Glider Infantry Regiment.

In May 1945 Fuller and his unit arrived in Berchtesgaden. Among the first to reach at Hitler’s home, he had the pick of the souvenirs. Heading into the tunnels below the building, he helped himself to an AH monogrammed pillowcase with an embroidered edelweiss border. He also took Hitler’s handkerchief. Made of the finest linen, and adorned with a red ‘AH’ monogram, it also bears a finely embroidered “WIEN” (Vienna) postmark dated on his birthday “20.IV.1938” – commemorating the Austrian anschluss: the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 12 March 1938.

His stash also includes two cut off SS insignia, probably taken from either the SS Obersalzberg barracks or surrendering SS troops in the area.

“We finally ended up in Berchtesgaden. My company took over Hitler’s area. They had bombed his house, and it was really ruined. (We were told) if you see any regular German troops, let them go home. If you see any SS, you got to turn them in. So we picked up nine SS guys , and we took them with us and made them KP in the kitchen. And they were happy as lords, because they were eating all the good food that we were getting, because down in the tunnels all through the area, between the different houses and so forth, there was all sorts of good food…sugar…everything you wanted was down in these tunnels, so we ate like mad. Ice cream every day, cakes, regular meals. In August, we moved into Austria.”

– Robert S Fuller, interviewed December 3, 2016.

Robert died in 2019, aged 94.

Sofie Stork (1903-1981) was a Munich-based artist, and member of Hitler's inner circle at the Berghof. She was also a friend of Eva Braun's and gave her and Hitler several hand-painted tea sets and decorated the tiles of at least one of the Berghof's kachelofens (ceramic heaters).

In April 1932, she presented Hitler with this handpainted bowl showing Haus Wachenfeld before its later conversion and expansion into the much larger Berghof. 

I don't have GI bringback information on this piece, but it was probably removed either from the stores underneath the Berghof, or the Eagle's Nest.

These two finely-laced doilies were acquired in early May 1945 by a member of the French 2nd Armored Division. They were most likely removed from Hitler’s ‘Eagle’s Nest’ teahouse, as the lace trim matches that of the large tablecloth which once adorned the long dining room table there.

An identical example to the smaller example shown here is held in the Musee l'Armee at the Invalides in Paris.

Hitler was a prolific reader. His library numbered in the thousands, and was distributed throughout his main residencies in Berchtesgaden, Munich and Berlin.

At the end of the war, many of his books found themselves stuffed into soldiers’ duffel bags and taken home as legitimate war booty. Even today, they turn up at rare book shows and the occasional flea market.

Here are two books taken from Hitler’s Berghof library on May 9 1945 – both bearing his ex libris (“from the library of”) bookplate. The larger of the two, bearing the GI’s inscription from the time, is a collation of Das Illustrierte Blatt – a national illustrated newspaper published weekly from 1913 to September 15, 1942, by the Frankfurter Societäts-Druckerei publishing house. Its subtitle was: “The young magazine for home and family, comfortable joy, for leisure, youth, and entertaining knowledge.” 

The second of the two books has no inscription and is a home kochbuch, or cookbook, published in 1922.

This enormous 18-inch twice-life-size bronze bust was removed from outside a Government Party building in Munich by a GI in the US 45th Infantry Division. Before its liberation, the GI unloaded his 1911 pistol up and into the bust – and the entry and exit holes still remain today. Too big to ship home, the GI left it with a family he knew in Munich and vowed to return someday and collect his spoils.

He never did, and the bust remained buried in the family’s basement until 1983, when it was rescued by a collector visiting the city. The collector relayed the events to a friend, and recalled the look on the German airport agent’s face when he opened his suitcase and saw Hitler staring back at him.

The bust is made by German sculptor, Karl Trumpf (1891-1959).

Following the discovery of Hermann Göring’s priceless art and treasure collection in Berchtesgaden, the 101st Airborne Division set about documenting each piece, and creating a full inventory.

This daunting task fell to Major Harry Vernon Anderson.

Before joining the 101st Airborne Division in 1942, Anderson had founded The Decorator’s Digest magazine – the first of its kind for professional interior designers.

In the coming days, he and his men carefully transferred thousands of artifacts to a vacation building designated for German rail workers (now Hotel Hubertus) in nearby Unterstein.

“One room was piled high with tapestries. In another room there were 70 cases consisting of 11,000 books and pamphlets. Two rooms, numbered five and eight, were referred to as the gold rooms and were padlocked, as they contained many small silver and gold items, including several ceremonial swords that had been presented to Göring.”

– Sacking Aladdin’s Cave, Kenneth D. Alford

With almost 40 rooms full, Anderson began painstakingly compiling and valuing the contents – first by hand, then later on his typewriter. After completing the final 73-page version, Anderson gave one copy to Monuments Officer, Thomas Howe – and kept an identical copy for himself. The inventory made it back to the States, where it was purchased from his wife in 1984, following Anderson’s death the year before.

Shown here is part of Anderson’s original handwritten inventory of the Göring collection, plus selected excerpts from his full 73-page typed inventory (its carbon copy ‘twin’ resides in the Smithsonian).

With the collection inventorised and accounted for, Anderson placed his famous ‘Hermann Goering Art Collection’ sign outside the building, and visiting GI’s were invited to view the world’s most valuable collection of art and treasures ever to be compiled.

“Anderson conducted a tour of the 40 rooms. Four rooms and a wide corridor on the ground floor were jammed with sculpture. Three rooms were crammed with barrels, boxes and trunks full of porcelain. A small chapel was overflowing with Italian Renaissance furniture. The condition of the art objects was excellent except that many items from Göring’s collection contained scratches and some bullet holes. Göring’s collection of artwork, the crème de la crème, consisted of approximately 1,000 paintings, 80 pieces of sculpture and 60 tapestries.”

– Hermann Göring and the Nazi art collection, Kenneth D. Alford

Due to security concerns, this once-in-a-lifetime ‘museum’ was sadly short-lived. Soon enough, the treasures were moved to the Munich Central Collecting Point – a depot created by the Monuments Men to process, photograph and redistribute artwork and cultural artifacts that had been confiscated by the Nazis.

Hitler was a prolific reader and his personal library numbered in the thousands. As the war drew to a close, his bookcases in Berlin, Munich and the Obersalzberg were pillaged by arriving allied forces, although around 1,200 or so volumes were salvaged and now reside in the Library of Congress.

Here is a leather-backed copy of Volume 16 of the Meyer’s Lexikon Atlas series, removed from Hitler’s personal library at the Berghof by Captain M. Musnier – commander of the 397th Highway Traffic Company, attached to the French 2nd Armored Division. In his memoirs, Captain Musnier recalled:

“At nightfall, May 6, 1945, I went up with my jeep and some motorcycles from my 397th Traffic Company…further down appears the Berghof: Hitler's villa miraculously spared by the bombs. When we get there, a fire has just broken out and the roof is in flames. The large living room with the bay window and the private apartment are not yet touched. We do some ‘shopping’ there that is well deserved after seven years of war! A fine collection of Wagner records, silverware with the initials AH, a few stemmed glasses, a crystal candy bowl, and two books including an Atlas bearing Uncle Adolf's bookplate. A few days later in returning to France, I will perform a magnificent barrel roll with my jeep...too bad for the dishes and the records!”

What is especially interesting about Meyer’s Lexikon series of books is they are mentioned by several eyewitness accounts from the time as being used by Hitler personally – often during the infamous fireside discussions, or as a way to solve friendly disputes between the Berghof inner circle.

“A well-loved spot [in the Berghof] was the bookcase to the right of the window, which contained Meyer’s Lexikon, often used to resolve arguments. Should the guests have a difference of opinion on details such as the length of a river or the population of a town, the Lexikon would always be called upon. Hitler, painfully exact on all matters, would then consult the two different editions of the Lexikon, just to be on the safe side.”

He Was My Chief, The Memoirs of Adolf Hitler’s Secretary, Christa Schroeder

After the war, much of the furniture used in the Eagle's Nest was transferred to the Platterhof Hotel. There it stayed for many years, with most pieces subsequently trashed or damaged beyond repair by visiting US servicemen and women who used the hotel as a recreation facility right up until the 1990s. 

A few pieces were salvaged, and this is one such example. This chair and others like it were then re-covered and taken back up the mountain for use in the 1980s war movie, War and Remembrance. This armchair still has the cushions used in that movie.

Also shown below, an original Eagle's Nest armchair back cushion, re-united with an original armchair. This exact cushion was brought home by a member of the British armed forces after the war, and can be seen in period photos. 

The chair is very comfortable. It's no surprise so many GIs were snapped relaxing in it. 

Loaded with Carinhall’s priceless art and antiques, Hermann Göring’s abandoned train at Unterstein (near Berchtesgaden) was rich pickings for local residents first, then allied forces soon after.

One such looted item is this giant portfolio of 23 tapestry prints, designed by the renowned painter, Werner Peiner.

Along with Willy Meller, Adolf Wamper, Richard Scheibe, Arno Breker, and others, Peiner was one of the so-called “Divinely Gifted” German artists, as decreed by Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels in 1944.

During his work for the Third Reich, Peiner produced tapestries and artwork for Göring’s Carinhall residence, Government buildings, and Hitler himself.

Research into the portfolio is ongoing, but I believe the prints represent Peiner’s ‘Five Continents’ suite of tapestries. Several of the prints bear Göring’s coat of arms, indicating their production by the Hermann-Göring-Meisterschule für Malerei (Hermann Göring Master School for Painting) in Kronenburg.

Credits:

germanartgallery.eu

dhm.de

Sitting 1,834m above sea level, the Kehlsteinhaus (known by GIs as the ‘Eagles Nest’) was considered the ultimate prize at the war’s end. This was HItler’s Alpine tea house and the ‘jewel in the crown’ of his estate, accessible only via a brass elevator blasted into the mountain.

The showpiece of the building was the Great Hall, featuring a large round table, marble-topped tables and comfortable chairs.

Fixed to the the walls were 8 brass sconces with candles, which were plundered soon after the war.

Here is one of those candle sets, made from beeswax and removed from the building by a member of the US Signal Corps. He also removed one of the 6 threaded candle holders attached to each sconce and, after the war, attached a wooden base to hold it upright.

The last major event held at the Kehlsteinhaus was the wedding reception of Gretl Braun and Hermann Fegelein on June 3 1944 – and it is unlikely this candle has been lit since.

While at the Berghof, Hitler would spend many an afternoon with his entourage at the Mooslahnerkopf teahouse, overlooking the Berchtesgaden valley.

Although the Kehlsteinhaus (‘Eagle’s Nest’) is perhaps the most famous of Hitler’s Obersalzberg boltholes, the Mooslahnerkopf was by far the one he visited most often. Unlike the Berghof, its tucked away location meant it was largely unknown by arriving allied forces — and was instead looted by local residents who entered the building soon after the RAF bombing raid of April 25 1945.

Here is a pastry basket, two coffee cup sets, and a saucer (repaired) which were removed by one local family. Manufactured by Nymphenburg, this was the only Hitler residence this particular pattern was used.

The porcelain pastry basket is actually visible in several period photos and film footage from the time.

Its contents have long since been scattered to the wind, but the original box remains – still with the original stamp!

By mid-May 1945, allied troops and Obersalzberg locals had stripped the inner circle homes of silverware and the most valuable souvenirs. Now it was time to plunder everyday household objects and furnishings.

Marlin Beloott of 3rd Army, 103rd Division, 328th Combat Engineer Battalion arrived in the area on May 21, where he visited the homes of Hermann Göring and Adolf Hitler and set about removing several artefacts.

His souvenirs included a coloring book belonging to Göring’s daughter, Edda, and labeled in her own handwriting. He also removed a towel rail from Göring’s bathroom, plus a light switch and wooden ventilation cover from the Berghof. Each item bears a handwritten label, placed there by Beloott at the time or shortly after.

More on Haus Göring here

These two large bronze coat hooks were looted from the Eagle’s Nest right after the war, by Capt. Paul Riddle of the 31st Mobile Reclamation and Repair Sqdn, USAAF.

In a letter written by Capt. Riddle in 1977, he describes arriving in the “entranceway at Berchtesgaden” and pulling the hooks off the wall. You can see ‘chip’ marks on the base of the hooks, where he hammered them loose.

The hooks are also visible in period photos of the entrance way, right outside the famous brass-lined elevator door. The wooden panel holding the hooks is still there today, although all the original hooks are long gone.

This hand-painted tile fragment was made by the Munich artist Sofie Stork (1903-1981), who was close friend of Eva Braun and a member of the Berghof's inner circle. 

She was commissioned by Hitler and Eva Braun to create numerous hand-painted items for their private residences, including chinaware, lampshades and ceramic kachelofen (heater) ties. The rear is marked “KW”, denoting production by the ceramic stove maker Kieslinger-Wehner of Munich.

The tile piece was removed from the Berghof in May 1945 by Eugene A. Cook – a member of the 308th Field Observation Battalion, attached to the 7th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division – and one of the first to arrive in the building.

The tile was part of one of the coffee tables used in the Berghof's Great Hall. The table was probably destroyed during the RAF bombing raid of April 25, or by the SS as they burned and destroyed many of Hitler's personal belongings before fleeing the area. 

You can see the coffee table in the picture below and a glimpse of this exact tile in a close-up, also below. 

When allied troops arrived at the Eagle's Nest in May 1945, pretty much anything that wasn't nailed down was looted. Then, as the weeks went by, even the nailed down stuff was removed. Then the nails went too.

The decorative sconce shown below formed part of a series of 8 wall-mounted lights within the main hall of the Eagle's Nest, which can be seen in many period photos. 

This 10” diameter hand-painted bowl was part of a much larger set presented to Hitler at the Berghof by Admiral Miklós Horthy (1868-1957) of Hungary in 1937. The name of the pattern is VBO (“Victoria with golden rim”), named after its first customer, Queen Victoria of Great Britain.

The reverse of the bowl shows the Herend Porcelain manufacturing mark; the eagle with swastika; and an arm clutching a sheaf of corn – denoting Horthy’s coat of arms.

Several other examples of this set have come to light over the years, but most were destroyed after allied troops arrived at the house in May 1945. Another example is also on permanent display at the 45th Infantry Division museum in Oklahoma.

These 'Der Berghof' postcard albums were given to visiting VIPs to the Berghof, and are considered rare. Each of the 12 pages contains a color postcard showing a different room of the building.

This particular album was given to an architect during his visit to the Berghof in August 1938. What makes this example extra special is that it's hand-inscribed by Hitler's butler and Berghof house manager, Arthur Kannenberg and his wife, Freda.

The grouping also includes the architect’s invite to the opening of the House of German Art on July 18 1937, and another invite to see work in progress of the buildings on the Königsplatz, on November 3 1935. The photograph of Hitler and Martin Bormann was taken by him during his stay at the Berghof.

Read more about these booklets here.

Download a post-war interview with Kannenberg here.

The Platterhof was a hotel near Berchtesgaden where high-level Nazi dignitaries would stay when visiting Hitler and the area. This menu, dated July 27th 1942, was removed from the building by Tom M of the 321st Glider Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. 

On the reverse is some kind of shopping list, perhaps made by a staff member who worked in the hotel kitchens at the time. 

Robert Albro was in the 9th Field Artillery Battalion attached to the 3rd Infantry Division when it arrived in Berchtesgaden on May 5th 1945. 

While there, he gathered a handful of Nazi badges and pins and sent them back to the States, along with a letter. [N.B the letter shown here may be a post-war re-typing of his original letter, although when I spoke to him about this in 2014, he was positive he typed it at the time on a captured German typewriter]. 

The French 2nd Armored Division arrived in Berchtesgaden almost simultaneously, and as a gesture of frienship Albro swapped his 3rd Infantry Division patch for a French patch of the Cross of Lorraine—the symbol of free French forces during WW2—which is also shown here. 

Pardon D Watson was the commander of the 44th Anti Aircraft Artillery Brigade. During his visit to the Obersalzberg, he took many photos of the Eagle's Nest and met "Hitler's elevator operator" Georg Mehr. He even had him sign the back of his map. It reads "Mehr Georg" which was a pretty common way of signing names in Germany back then. 

(Thanks to Geoff Walden of Third Reich in Ruins for the detective work)

If you own these pieces, or know someone who does, please get in touch

wartrophies@gmail.com