Welsh author Jean D Vaughan (later Vaughan-Baker) had set out in 1951 to write the first original 'fair, unbiased' book on Heydrich, and offered Lina 50 percent of the royalties; nothing came of their joint endeavors. Lina was one of the few top-level wives and widows whose property the Entnazifierungs-Hauptausschuß ordered restored to her.

We reproduce here the contents of some of the historically more important items, in the hope that they will prompt others to make such private caches of letters available to Real Historians. Our thanks are due to the Third Reich document and memorabilia specialists Robert Johnston and Lana Cantrell for access to Miss Vaughan's papers, which include vital personal contributions by Lina Heydrich and originals from her photo album.

The collection includes photographs and a folder of documents including scores of private letters written by Lina describing her late husband, his works, his relationship with Wilhelm Canaris and Heinrich Himmler, and other matters of historical importance.

 [Photo: Reinhard Heydrich,
winter 1932, Munich]

Inventory of the Vaughan Collection of Reinhard Heydrich, prepared by the current Owner, William Rasmussen

1. Forty-four original unpublished photos of Heydrich, his family, SS personnel and top leaders etc.
2. Invitation by Kriegsmarine to SS Gruppenführer Heydrich (1936).
3. Set of four postcards - one of a town, one of his father's music theater, 3rd is a large building, 4th showing his father Bruno at an opera. All are written by Heydrich? Two are signed Reinhard and 1 believed to be sent to wife signed Reini.
4. Fourteen envelopes from Mrs Heydrich.
5. Approximately 60 pages written by Mrs Heydrich.
6. Eleven miscellaneous pages of correspondence written about Heydrich from different persons to Jean Vaughan, who was writing a book.
7. Also a dozen or more items related about Heydrich.
8. One of Heydrich's calling cards - S.D.

In the early 1950s, Jean Vaughan, a female Journalist, sought and found SS Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich's widow Lina. Jean Vaughan struck up a correspondence which led to Frau Heydrich's cooperation on a book. The book never came to completion.

Reinhard Heydrich was born in 1904. After having problems in the German Navy, Heydrich was recruited by Reichsführer Himmler to run the Sicherheitsdienst, or SD. In 1936 Heydrich helped forge thirty-two documents that launched the purges that caused Joseph Stalin to liquidate his entire General and General staff command.

Heydrich was so successful in his administration of the German protectorate of Böhmen-Mähren, that the Allies had him assassinated. Heydrich was the driving force behind the "Holocaust".

In this group are over 100 pages of Frau Heydrich's recollections of her husband. His beliefs, his friendship with Reichsfuhrer Himmler, as well as General Heydrich's personal aide.

Included are over forty photos from Frau Heydrich's personal album, these unpublished photos and cards are Frau Heydrich's most cherished remembrances of her husband, and in one letter clearly states, "These photos I give you are all I have left of my husband".

Also included are an invitation to Heydrich to a naval function, his personal business card, a card to his future wife Lina von Osten while they were dating, in his own hand-writing, as well as one in his wife's handwriting to her father.