# Is there anyone alive today who knew Hitler **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 28, 2020, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119 "2020-01-28T17:34:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Garak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Garak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garak)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/1 "2020-01-28T17:34:13Z")
just a weird thought my friend had ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/2 "2020-01-28T17:39:38Z")
Which Hitler? ---
**Author:** ![spifflog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@spifflog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spifflog)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/3 "2020-01-28T17:52:42Z")
I’d guess that Hilde Schramm, 83 might have met Hitler. She’s the youngest sister of Albert Speer. Born in 1936, I could imagine her meeting Hitler in 1943 or so. Hitler died 75 years ago. I bet there are a bunch of people that met him and are still alive. Look at home many WWII vets are still alive. They are all of the right age. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/4 "2020-01-28T17:52:52Z")
Define “know.” Met personally for a minute? There _might_ be some WW II era children still alive that met him at some glad-handing political event and still remember it( “Hitler praised me for winning a spelling bee” ). Anyone in that category would be probably be deep into their 80’s by now. Knew him well enough to have to have been an acquaintance, even a distant one? Pretty unlikely in 2020. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/5 "2020-01-28T17:55:06Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Which Hitler? **Moderator Note** Let’s refrain from smartass answers as the first response in GQ. No warning issued. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/6 "2020-01-28T18:01:35Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Define “know.” Met personally for a minute? There _might_ be some WW II era children still alive that met him at some glad-handing political event and still remember it( “Hitler praised me for winning a spelling bee” ). Anyone in that category would be probably be deep into their 80’s by now. > > Knew him well enough to have to have been an acquaintance, even a distant one? Pretty unlikely in 2020. A few of the kids of his closest advisors are alive, like Niklas Frank, who had Hitler for a godfather. Presumably they met, but it’s unclear if they “knew” him. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/7 "2020-01-28T18:52:42Z")
I imagine some aide who worked in his office (or wherever) would have spoken to him on many occasions. I he was 20-25 years old in 1945, he’d be 95-100 today. I’d put this in the “unlikely but certainly not impossible” category. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/8 "2020-01-28T19:11:31Z")
Rochus Misch died 6 or so years ago - he probably was the last with any regular contact with Hitler (bodyguard). He was in his mid-nineties iirc when he died. I think there are still survivors from the fuehrer bunker, but the ones left did not have any meaningful contact with him, if any. ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/9 "2020-01-28T19:56:20Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > I imagine some aide who worked in his office (or wherever) would have spoken to him on many occasions. I he was 20-25 years old in 1945, he’d be 95-100 today. I’d put this in the “unlikely but certainly not impossible” category. Hitler’s maid Elisabeth Kalhammer was alive as of three years ago. No information since then; she’d be 95 - 96 by now. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/10 "2020-01-28T21:48:43Z")
Wikipedia lists 5 of Martin Bormann’s 10 children without a death date. (Not proof of being alive but clearly someone is keeping track.) Given their birth years in the 30s of the two oldest and the fondness of Hitler for having children around him, that at least one of them is still alive and remembers hanging out with Hitler is likely. Irmgard Bormann (born 25 July 1933) Rudolf Gerhard Bormann (born 31 August 1934) Eva Ute Bormann (born 4 May 1938) Gerda Bormann (born 4 August 1940) Fritz Hartmut Bormann (born 3 April 1942) It seems the quite a few of the children of top Nazi officials have died in recent years. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/11 "2020-01-29T01:59:04Z")
Even Bruno Ganz who played Hitler in Downfall died last year. BTW both he and the director of Downfall really liked the parodies with fake subtitles that are on youtube. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/12 "2020-01-29T07:00:55Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Even Bruno Ganz who played Hitler in Downfall died last year. BTW both he and the director of Downfall really liked the parodies with fake subtitles that are on youtube. Of particular interest: [Hitler Waiting For Godot](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwuG-slQFGY). (Approx. 8 minutes.) ---
**Author:** ![kk\_fusion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kk_fusion/32/15276_2.png) [@kk\_fusion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kk_fusion)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/13 "2020-01-29T07:36:08Z")
> [@kk\_fusion](#): > > Hitler’s maid Elisabeth Kalhammer was alive as of three years ago. No information since then; she’d be 95 - 96 by now. P.S.: Found [this](https://taeglich.me/wuelfrath/lot-e-v-begegnungsfahrt-nach-salzburg-und-nuernberg/) recent article implying she’s alive and occasionally giving interviews. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/14 "2020-01-29T12:34:17Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > I imagine some aide who worked in his office (or wherever) would have spoken to him on many occasions. I he was 20-25 years old in 1945, he’d be 95-100 today. I’d put this in the “unlikely but certainly not impossible” category. Along these lines, Hitler’s last private secretary, [Traudl Junge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traudl_Junge), died in 2002. There’s a fascinating documentary called “Blind Spot” about her. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/15 "2020-01-29T13:23:46Z")
My mother saw him in the flesh when she was a little girl. He came to their town (Cesky Krumlov) after the Sudetenland was annexed. They made everyone come out to greet him. She’s 87 now. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/16 "2020-01-29T15:45:29Z")
I would guess there are hundreds. After all, there are plenty of people who are 90 today and they would have been 15 when he died. Here is a link to some of them. It is a link to war criminals who are still alive. > **[Here Are the 6 Most Wanted Nazi War Criminals](https://time.com/3958690/nazi-war-criminals-still-alive/)** > > Based on the Simon Wiesenthal Center's list ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/17 "2020-01-29T19:09:44Z")
I worked with a fellow who told me about his conversation with Hitler. This guy was an accountant, retired about mid-1990’s. I assume he’s no longer alive. He was with a group of university students who bought rush seats at the Berlin Opera - the seats held for VIP’s were put on sale last minute, cheap but prestigious box seats. Anyway, Hitler and entourage decide last minute to attend the opera, so he and his buddies were given the (polite) boot. On the way out, Adolph stopped them and they had a brief chat, Adolph apologized for the inconvenience, etc. Very polite, likeable guy, it seems. (When not ordering mass murders) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/18 "2020-01-29T19:19:49Z")
In the biblical sense? Probably not since 1945. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/19 "2020-02-12T14:59:52Z")
[I was Adolf Hitler’s next-door neighbour: Jewish woman reveals how she lived next to the future Führer in Munich in 1920s and 30s - and even saw his ‘niece’s coffin’ taken from his flat](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7994991/Jewish-woman-reveals-Hitler-door-NEIGHBOUR-1920s-30s.html) > [@](#): > > Alice Frank Stock, 101, spent years living in the same apartment block as the Nazi dictator while growing up in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s. > > Her [f]amily lived on Prinzregentplatz in Munich, just doors away from one of the most notorious figures in history, who moved in to the block in 1929. > > Mrs Stock said she would sometimes see Hitler being rushed into the building while flanked by towering SS guards, most likely fearful of an assassination attempt. > [@](#): > > Despite her close proximity to the Führer, Mrs Stock said she rarely saw him - and never had any personal interactions. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119/20 "2020-02-12T15:17:17Z")
> [@MikeS](#): > > Along these lines, Hitler’s last private secretary, [Traudl Junge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traudl_Junge), died in 2002. There’s a fascinating documentary called “Blind Spot” about her. It was her memoirs that was the seed for _Downfall_. Her character had a small part in the movie. In the parodies she’s the secretary in a green sweater who comforts the crying secretary as they overhear his rant in the hallway. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-anyone-alive-today-who-knew-hitler/847119.md?page=2)