Posted Sunday, January 14, 2007

Note on an Interview with Herr Gebhard Himmler (and his wife) at his home, 8 München 19, Bernhard Borst Str., 7 (tel: 153511) on 26th June 1971, 3.30 pm. (Institut für Zeitgeschichte archive file ZS 2257)

1. Gebhard Himmler was two years older than his brother, the Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler. He and his wife both spoke with obvious affection of "Heini", whom they had however seen only on the rarest wartime occasions (on one occasion on his birthday, together with Martin Bormann). Heinrich had presented them with a long photocopy of the Himmler Ahnentafel, but this had been destroyed in an air raid; they would be grateful for anything similar.

2. When I mentioned the question of Hitler's relationship to the Judenausrottung, both said they believed the initiative or order had come from Hitler, and that Heinrich had carried it out faithfully to the end. They could not believe Heinrich had done this on his own initiative. Gebhard recalls his brother once saying to him that as Reichsführer SS and Chef der deutschen Polizei he had had the unfortunate task of taking upon him all the unpleasant (schwarz) aspects of human life, but he hoped he had done so conscientiously.

3. Heinrich had worked like a slave throughout the years of the war and before. Occasionally people had approached Gebhard with requests for him to intercede with Heinrich over certain matters -- the release of acquaintances from concentration camps, and the like; Gebhard had notified Heinrich, and he believed these matters had always been most closely investigated by his brother.

4. Gebhard stressed that his brother never discussed war secrets or secret matters with him in detail, so he could only go by his general knowledge of the man and their general conversations.

5. Gebhard Himmler and his wife had not known of the Russian campaign before it started, however; they had noticed the trains passing eastwards round Berlin (through Dresden) laden with guns and troops, but the actual purpose was a well-kept secret as far as they were concerned.

6. After the war, they (Frau H.) was billeted on the [Ltn General Walter] Warlimonts at Tegernsee, Frau Warlimont succeeded in ousting Frau Himmler (the Warlimonts being anxious to protect their status in American eyes) but soon after, the Warlimonts were also dispossessed by the Americans, and this time Frau Warlimont found every house in Tegernsee barred to her, because of the way she had treated Frau Himmler. Frau Himmler clearly suffered from the burden of the name for many years among her neighbours.

7. They have no documents or papers of historical interest.

David Irving

Comments by David Irving:

NOTE that in this interview the word Holocaust is not mentioned or used. The word Holocaust did not gain currency as a generic term for the Jewish tragedy of World War II until a few years after this interview.

 

Heinrich Himmler dossier

 

The capture of Heinrich Himmler and other Leading Nazis, May 1945, report by Sergeant Britton

Statement by Captain Donald McPherson who worked in the Control Commission for Germany