Rochus Misch
Encyclopedia
Rochus Misch is a former Oberscharführer
(senior squad leader) in the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
during World War II
. He served as a courier, bodyguard
and telephone operator for German leader Adolf Hitler
from 1940 to 1945. , aged , he is the last living survivor of the occupants of the Führerbunker
in the final days of the war in Europe.
near Oppeln
in the Province of Silesia
(now Popielów, Poland). He became an orphan at the age of two and grew up with his grandparents. He worked as a painter. He has a daughter named Brigitta Jacob-Engelken.
(SS-VT), the predecessor to the Waffen-SS
. The SS-VT trained alongside Hitler’s personal bodyguard unit, the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). Misch was badly wounded in Poland
while negotiating the surrender of Polish troops during the Battle of Modlin
. For this act he was awarded the Iron Cross
, Second Class. As he was the last living member of a Lower Silesian
family, his company leader recommended him for the Führerbegleitkommando (SS-FBK). It was made up of members of the LSSAH who were not in front-line service.
Misch was transferred to the LSSAH. As a junior member of Hitler's permanent bodyguard, Misch travelled with Hitler throughout World War II. When not serving as a bodyguard, Misch and others in the unit served as telephone operators or couriers. On January 16, 1945, following the German defeat in the Battle of the Bulge
, Misch and the rest of Hitler's personal staff moved into the Führerbunker in Berlin
. He did not leave it for any significant period of time until the end of the war in Europe. Misch handled all of the direct communication from the bunker.
Hitler and Joseph Goebbels
committed suicide
on 30 April and 1 May 1945 respectively. Misch witnessed the discovery of the bodies of Hitler and Eva Braun
after their suicides, and was present (in the bunker complex) during the time the Goebbels poisoned their children. Misch and mechanic Johannes Hentschel
, two of the last people remaining in the bunker, exchanged letters to their wives in case anything happened to them. Misch fled the bunker on 2 May only hours before the Red Army
seized it. He was captured shortly thereafter by Soviet
forces. Misch was then tortured in an attempt to extract information regarding Hitler's exact fate. Misch spent nine years in Soviet labor camps.
He struggled for several years with what to do with his life post captivity. He was offered various odd jobs, among others as a bodyguard and as a driver. While he entertained these offers, which for the most part were through his wartime contacts, all early offers would entail moving away from Berlin, which his wife refused unconditionally. He finally obtained credit backed by wealthy German philanthropists to buy out a painting business from a retiree in Berlin. He ran this modest business successfully, and during the early Allied occupation of Berlin also became involved in the making of peanut butter for American troops. This sideline became so successful that he considered leaving painting. His wife intervened and he remained in the painting business until retirement. He wrote his memoirs in German, Der Letzte Zeuge (The Last Witness) which was published in 2008.
In May 2005, Misch appeared in the news when he was accused of taunting the sensibilities of Holocaust victims after calling for a plaque
in memory of the Goebbels children
, who were murdered by Magda Goebbels
, shortly before her own suicide on 1 May 1945.
Since the deaths of Bernd von Freytag-Loringhoven on 27 February 2007, Armin Lehmann on 10 October 2008, and Siegfried Knappe
on 1 December 2008, Rochus Misch is the last survivor of the Führerbunker and the last known person alive to have known Hitler personally.
On the occasion of the release of the 2004 German film Downfall (Der Untergang) in France
, French journalist Nicolas Bourcier interviewed Misch on multiple occasions during the second half of 2005. The resulting biography was published in French as J'étais garde du corps d'Hitler 1940–1945 (I was Hitler's bodyguard 1940-1945) in March 2006 (ISBN 2253121541). Translations were released in South America, Japan, Spain, Poland, Turkey and Germany in 2006 and 2007.
Misch served as consultant to writer Christopher McQuarrie
on the 2008 film Valkyrie
, a depiction of the 20 July plot.
As of 2011, Misch still lives in Berlin in the same house he moved into when he was released by the Soviets. The house is located in the district of Rudow in South Berlin. Misch regularly receives visitors who wish to speak to or interview him. On 15 May 2011, and being terminally ill, Misch gave his last - in his own words - interview to the Daily Express
.
Oberscharführer
Oberscharführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that existed between the years of 1932 and 1945. Translated as “Senior Squad Leader”, Oberscharführer was first used as a rank of the Sturmabteilung and was created due to an expansion of the enlisted positions required by growing SA membership...
(senior squad leader) in the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
The Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard. Initially the size of a regiment, the LSSAH eventually grew into a divisional-sized unit...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He served as a courier, bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
and telephone operator for German leader Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
from 1940 to 1945. , aged , he is the last living survivor of the occupants of the Führerbunker
Führerbunker
The Führerbunker was located beneath Hitler's New Reich Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. It was part of a subterranean bunker complex which was constructed in two major phases, one part in 1936 and the other in 1943...
in the final days of the war in Europe.
Early life
Misch was born in Alt-SchalkowitzPopielów
Popielów may refer to:*Popielów, Masovian Voivodeship, a village in Węgrów County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland*Popielów, Opole Voivodeship, a village in Opole County, Opole Voivodeship, Poland...
near Oppeln
Opole
Opole is a city in southern Poland on the Oder River . It has a population of 125,992 and is the capital of the Upper Silesia, Opole Voivodeship and, also the seat of Opole County...
in the Province of Silesia
Province of Silesia
The Province of Silesia was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1815 to 1919.-Geography:The territory comprised the bulk of the former Bohemian crown land of Silesia and the County of Kladsko, which King Frederick the Great had conquered from the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy in the 18th...
(now Popielów, Poland). He became an orphan at the age of two and grew up with his grandparents. He worked as a painter. He has a daughter named Brigitta Jacob-Engelken.
Nazi career
In 1937, Misch joined the SS-VerfügungstruppeSS-Verfügungstruppe
The SS-Verfügungstruppe was formed in 1934 as combat troops for the NSDAP. By 1940 these military SS units had become the nucleus of the Waffen-SS....
(SS-VT), the predecessor to the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
. The SS-VT trained alongside Hitler’s personal bodyguard unit, the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). Misch was badly wounded in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
while negotiating the surrender of Polish troops during the Battle of Modlin
Battle of Modlin
The Battle of Modlin took place during the German invasion of Poland at the beginning of the Second World War. Modlin Fortress was initially the headquarters of the Modlin Army until its retreat eastwards. From 13 September to 29 September in 1939 it served as a defensive citadel for Polish forces...
. For this act he was awarded the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
, Second Class. As he was the last living member of a Lower Silesian
Province of Lower Silesia
The Province of Lower Silesia was a province of the Free State of Prussia from 1919 to 1945. Between 1938 and 1941 it was reunited with Upper Silesia as the Silesia Province. The capital of Lower Silesia was Breslau...
family, his company leader recommended him for the Führerbegleitkommando (SS-FBK). It was made up of members of the LSSAH who were not in front-line service.
Misch was transferred to the LSSAH. As a junior member of Hitler's permanent bodyguard, Misch travelled with Hitler throughout World War II. When not serving as a bodyguard, Misch and others in the unit served as telephone operators or couriers. On January 16, 1945, following the German defeat in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, Misch and the rest of Hitler's personal staff moved into the Führerbunker in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. He did not leave it for any significant period of time until the end of the war in Europe. Misch handled all of the direct communication from the bunker.
Hitler and Joseph Goebbels
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism...
committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
on 30 April and 1 May 1945 respectively. Misch witnessed the discovery of the bodies of Hitler and Eva Braun
Eva Braun
Eva Anna Paula Hitler was the longtime companion of Adolf Hitler and, for less than 40 hours, his wife. Braun met Hitler in Munich, when she was 17 years old, while working as an assistant and model for his personal photographer and began seeing him often about two years later...
after their suicides, and was present (in the bunker complex) during the time the Goebbels poisoned their children. Misch and mechanic Johannes Hentschel
Johannes Hentschel
Johannes Hentschel was a German- Danish master electro-mechanic for German dictator Adolf Hitler's apartments in the Old Chancellery.-Biography:Born in Berlin on 10 May 1908. Hentschel was hired on 4 July 1934...
, two of the last people remaining in the bunker, exchanged letters to their wives in case anything happened to them. Misch fled the bunker on 2 May only hours before the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
seized it. He was captured shortly thereafter by Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
forces. Misch was then tortured in an attempt to extract information regarding Hitler's exact fate. Misch spent nine years in Soviet labor camps.
Later life
After his release from captivity in 1954, Misch returned to Berlin, where he lived 2 miles (3.2 km) from the Führerbunker. Following the rediscovery of the bunker in the 1990s, Misch stated publicly that the bunker should not be completely destroyed, being an important part of world history.He struggled for several years with what to do with his life post captivity. He was offered various odd jobs, among others as a bodyguard and as a driver. While he entertained these offers, which for the most part were through his wartime contacts, all early offers would entail moving away from Berlin, which his wife refused unconditionally. He finally obtained credit backed by wealthy German philanthropists to buy out a painting business from a retiree in Berlin. He ran this modest business successfully, and during the early Allied occupation of Berlin also became involved in the making of peanut butter for American troops. This sideline became so successful that he considered leaving painting. His wife intervened and he remained in the painting business until retirement. He wrote his memoirs in German, Der Letzte Zeuge (The Last Witness) which was published in 2008.
In May 2005, Misch appeared in the news when he was accused of taunting the sensibilities of Holocaust victims after calling for a plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
in memory of the Goebbels children
Goebbels children
The Goebbels children were the five daughters and one son born to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels and his wife Magda Goebbels. The children, born between 1932 and 1940, were murdered by their parents in Berlin on May 1, 1945, the day both parents committed suicide.Magda Goebbels had an...
, who were murdered by Magda Goebbels
Magda Goebbels
Johanna Maria Magdalena "Magda" Goebbels was the wife of Nazi Germany's Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels...
, shortly before her own suicide on 1 May 1945.
Since the deaths of Bernd von Freytag-Loringhoven on 27 February 2007, Armin Lehmann on 10 October 2008, and Siegfried Knappe
Siegfried Knappe
Siegfried Knappe was an officer in the German Army during World War II. Towards the end of the war, Knappe was stationed in Berlin, where he gave daily briefings at the Führerbunker.- Biography :...
on 1 December 2008, Rochus Misch is the last survivor of the Führerbunker and the last known person alive to have known Hitler personally.
On the occasion of the release of the 2004 German film Downfall (Der Untergang) in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, French journalist Nicolas Bourcier interviewed Misch on multiple occasions during the second half of 2005. The resulting biography was published in French as J'étais garde du corps d'Hitler 1940–1945 (I was Hitler's bodyguard 1940-1945) in March 2006 (ISBN 2253121541). Translations were released in South America, Japan, Spain, Poland, Turkey and Germany in 2006 and 2007.
Misch served as consultant to writer Christopher McQuarrie
Christopher McQuarrie
Christopher McQuarrie is an American screenwriter, producer and director. His screenplays include The Usual Suspects, for which he won the 1996 Academy Award, The Way of the Gun and Valkyrie....
on the 2008 film Valkyrie
Valkyrie (film)
Valkyrie is a 2008 American historical thriller film set in Nazi Germany during World War II. The film depicts the 20 July plot in 1944 by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler and to use the Operation Valkyrie national emergency plan to take control of the country...
, a depiction of the 20 July plot.
As of 2011, Misch still lives in Berlin in the same house he moved into when he was released by the Soviets. The house is located in the district of Rudow in South Berlin. Misch regularly receives visitors who wish to speak to or interview him. On 15 May 2011, and being terminally ill, Misch gave his last - in his own words - interview to the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
.
Portrayal in the media
Rochus Misch has been portrayed by the following actors in film and television productions.- Michael KitchenMichael KitchenMichael Kitchen is an English actor and television producer, best known for his starring role as DCS Foyle in the British TV series Foyle's War.-Early life:...
in the 1981 United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television production The BunkerThe Bunker (1981 film)The Bunker is a 1981 CBS television film, Time/Life production based on the book The Bunker. The movie makes significant deviations from James O'Donnell's book--published in 1978. The deviations are mainly due to an effort to clarify the events, and allowing the actors license to interpret some of...
. - Heinrich SchmiederHeinrich SchmiederHeinrich Schmieder was a German actor.- Life :Heinrich Schmieder in 1970 as the son of Albanian-banatdeutsch he was born to immigrants...
in the 2004 GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
film Downfall (Der Untergang)Downfall (film)Downfall is a 2004 German/Italian/Austrian epic war film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, depicting the final ten days of Adolf Hitler's life in his Berlin bunker and Nazi Germany in 1945....
. - Florian LukasFlorian Lukas-Selected filmography:-External links:*...
in the 2005 German television production Die Letzte Schlacht (The Last Battle).
External links
- Burns, Chris. (October 15, 1999). "Berliners debate what to do with Hitler's bunker". CNN
- Hall, Allan. (May 3, 2005). "Hitler, the Tragic Goebbels Children and Me: 60 Years on, Führer's Nurse Tells Her Story". The Daily Mail, p. 13
- Der SpiegelDer SpiegelDer Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
online, 29 July 2007, Des Teufels Leibwächter: Die Geheimnisse des letzten lebenden Hitler-Vertrauten http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/zeitgeschichte/0,1518,496950-2,00.html - 2005 Salon.com interview
- 2009 BBC News interview