Real History and documents about Reinhard Heydrich your Hitler index download your “Hitler’s War” book free your Heydrich index your Himmlerindex your Goebbels index Hitler “expert” Prof. Jäckel your Wannsee conference file From the papers of Jean Vaughan, American authoress [No German text available] Lina Heydrich to Jean Vaughan, 1951 I received your kind letter of March 20th and will not let you wait an answer.
You were quite right in supposing that I do not speak English fluently, but my friend [ Maria K Shnell, sic .] does, and she will be so kind as to translate my letter into English. I think it important that you go on writing your future letters to me in English so that there might not be any misunderstandings, as you apparently do not speak German. In your letter you express the fear I might refuse a correspondence with you.
Well, the very painful experiences of the last few years taught me to be cautious and I think you will understand and appreciate that I answer your letter rather reservedly. Offers to write about the life of my assassinated husband have come to me in all kinds of forms, even from the Eastern Zone. These offers were thrown into the waste-paper basket, without exception.
In Germany we have been inundated with biographies of all kinds and to all aims in the the last years, but if you think that they are asked for in Gt. Britain and USA I will take your word for it! I do think that it is exceptionally difficult to write about persons and events of the recent past without causing resentements.
That’s the reason why I myself never tried to give a description of the life of my husband, though I too think that the public ought to be presented with a fair and unbiased picture of a man who has been so much discussed. When some time ago, a weekly paper called him the “great antagonist of the Kremlin” (Gegenspieler des Kreml) I think it hit the point perhaps even without intending it.
I must disappoint you if you should expect from me informations concerning his official duties and work, but about the private life of my husband, his viewpoints and ideas etc. his parents, his childhood and early youth a.s.o a.s.o. I could tell you a lot. Up to now hardly anything is known about his private life because almost everybody who knew him is either dead, or under sentence of death ( Ohlendorf, Neumann ) or imprisoned in Russia.
And even today it is not withour danger to life and property to acknowledge acquaintance or collaboration with R. Heydrich. Every person who does, is victim to discrimination and personal abuse. In spite of that I would be willing to help you under certain conditions: You must pledge your honour that the informations given by me will be used to no other end and aim other than stated by you. You will have to define your aims precisely and definately.
You will have to acquaint me with facts and datas that you have collected about my husband and to give the sources from which your informations. Bitter experieces cause me to claim that nothing will be printed in the biography that I do not approve of or that might hint at any kind of propagands. I shall never approve of any other kind of biography than one written in a strictly matter-of-fact way.
You will understand that giving away all the memories treasures deep down in my heart until now would be an act of immense trust in you. And I think this could only grow if you could offer me the possibility to come to know you and your friends personally. I am awaiting your answer [Lina Heydrich] [ Heydrich | Himmler | Hitler | Interrogation reports on Himmler and the SS ] 2005