Obergruppenführer Hermann Otto Fegelein was a General of the Waffen SS in Nazi Germany, Member of Adolf Hitler's entourage, brother-in-law to Eva Braun through his marriage to her sister, Gretl, and ultimately brother-in-law to Adolf Hitler himself through Hitler's marriage to Eva Braun.
Fegelein was born in Ansbach in Bavaria. As a young boy he worked at his father's horse riding school in Munich. When it closed due to the worldwide economic depression of the 1920's, he worked as a stable boy for Christian Weber, who in the 1930's, was one of the original members of the Nazi Party.
In 1925 Fegelein joined the Reiterregiment 17, leaving it in 1928 to join the Bavarian State Police in Munich. Whilst in Munich he came into early contact with National Socialism, joining the Party and the SA., in 1930. By 1931, Fegelein had transferred to the SS.
Fegelein's Waffen SS Obergruppenführer rank was higher than his Allgemeine SS rank of SS Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant der Waffen SS.
On July 25, 1937, Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler, by special order of the Oberabschnitt, created the SS Main Riding School in Munich and made Hermann Fegelein the School Commander. Fegelein rose quickly through the ranks and was briefly sent to the Russian Front in 1943 with the Florian Geyer Cavalry Division, along with members of his SS Riding School. He had served under Reinhard Heydrich, and being an SS Officer, was involved in the Nazi rituals at Wewelsburg Castle.
Fegelein was nicknamed Heinrich Himmler's "Golden Boy". His boyish face and subservient attitude gained him considerable favour with Himmler, who treated him like a son. Himmler granted him the best assignments, the best staff and generous budgets. When he was injured on the Russian Front, Himmler brought him home to work in Hitler's Staff as Himmler's adjutant and representative of the Waffen SS.
His politically arranged marriage to Margarete "Gretl" Braun took place on June 3, 1944 and a two day celebration was held at Hitler's and Martin Bormann's Obersalzberg mountain homes. Photographs of the wedding dinner appeared in Britain's weekly "Picture Post Magazine" the next year after the war ended, showing Hitler at the festivities. A marriage license was obtained at the local town clerk's office and Heinrich Himmler presided over the simple ceremony.
Fegelein became known as a playboy and after his marriage to Gretl Braun had many extramarital affairs. Hitler was apparently aware of Fegelein's dalliances and while not entirely approving, turned a blind eye to them. This was common within Hitler's inner circle. Martin Bormann had ten children with his wife and also kept a mistress, while Heinrich Himmler had children with both his wife and mistress.
From January to April 1945 Fegelein and Martin Bormann controlled access to Hitler's office. After Fegelein's boss, Heinrich Himmler, tried to negotiate a backdoor surrender to the Allies via Count Bernadotte in April 1945, Fegelein left the Reich Chancellery bunker and was caught by SS Obersturmbannführer Peter Högl in his Berlin apartment wearing civilian clothes and apparently preparing to flee to Sweden or Switzerland with his Hungarian mistress. He was carrying cash - German and foreign - and jewelry some of which belonged to Eva Braun. According to most accounts he was intoxicated when arrested and brought back to the bunker.
Following court martial, presided by General Wilhelm Mohnke, Hermann Fegelein was shot in the neck by an SS Scharführer of the Führer Begleitkommando in the garden of the Reichskanzlei. The order came from the Führer himself. His body was thrown into a nearby shellhole and hastily buried.
Fegelein was born in Ansbach in Bavaria. As a young boy he worked at his father's horse riding school in Munich. When it closed due to the worldwide economic depression of the 1920's, he worked as a stable boy for Christian Weber, who in the 1930's, was one of the original members of the Nazi Party.
In 1925 Fegelein joined the Reiterregiment 17, leaving it in 1928 to join the Bavarian State Police in Munich. Whilst in Munich he came into early contact with National Socialism, joining the Party and the SA., in 1930. By 1931, Fegelein had transferred to the SS.
Fegelein's Waffen SS Obergruppenführer rank was higher than his Allgemeine SS rank of SS Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant der Waffen SS.
On July 25, 1937, Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler, by special order of the Oberabschnitt, created the SS Main Riding School in Munich and made Hermann Fegelein the School Commander. Fegelein rose quickly through the ranks and was briefly sent to the Russian Front in 1943 with the Florian Geyer Cavalry Division, along with members of his SS Riding School. He had served under Reinhard Heydrich, and being an SS Officer, was involved in the Nazi rituals at Wewelsburg Castle.
Fegelein was nicknamed Heinrich Himmler's "Golden Boy". His boyish face and subservient attitude gained him considerable favour with Himmler, who treated him like a son. Himmler granted him the best assignments, the best staff and generous budgets. When he was injured on the Russian Front, Himmler brought him home to work in Hitler's Staff as Himmler's adjutant and representative of the Waffen SS.
His politically arranged marriage to Margarete "Gretl" Braun took place on June 3, 1944 and a two day celebration was held at Hitler's and Martin Bormann's Obersalzberg mountain homes. Photographs of the wedding dinner appeared in Britain's weekly "Picture Post Magazine" the next year after the war ended, showing Hitler at the festivities. A marriage license was obtained at the local town clerk's office and Heinrich Himmler presided over the simple ceremony.
Fegelein became known as a playboy and after his marriage to Gretl Braun had many extramarital affairs. Hitler was apparently aware of Fegelein's dalliances and while not entirely approving, turned a blind eye to them. This was common within Hitler's inner circle. Martin Bormann had ten children with his wife and also kept a mistress, while Heinrich Himmler had children with both his wife and mistress.
From January to April 1945 Fegelein and Martin Bormann controlled access to Hitler's office. After Fegelein's boss, Heinrich Himmler, tried to negotiate a backdoor surrender to the Allies via Count Bernadotte in April 1945, Fegelein left the Reich Chancellery bunker and was caught by SS Obersturmbannführer Peter Högl in his Berlin apartment wearing civilian clothes and apparently preparing to flee to Sweden or Switzerland with his Hungarian mistress. He was carrying cash - German and foreign - and jewelry some of which belonged to Eva Braun. According to most accounts he was intoxicated when arrested and brought back to the bunker.
Following court martial, presided by General Wilhelm Mohnke, Hermann Fegelein was shot in the neck by an SS Scharführer of the Führer Begleitkommando in the garden of the Reichskanzlei. The order came from the Führer himself. His body was thrown into a nearby shellhole and hastily buried.
Obergruppenführer Hermann Otto Fegelein was a General of the Waffen SS in Nazi Germany, Member of Adolf Hitler's entourage, brother-in-law to Eva Braun through his marriage to her sister, Gretl, and ultimately brother-in-law to Adolf Hitler himself through Hitler's marriage to Eva Braun.
Fegelein was born in Ansbach in Bavaria. As a young boy he worked at his father's horse riding school in Munich. When it closed due to the worldwide economic depression of the 1920's, he worked as a stable boy for Christian Weber, who in the 1930's, was one of the original members of the Nazi Party.
In 1925 Fegelein joined the Reiterregiment 17, leaving it in 1928 to join the Bavarian State Police in Munich. Whilst in Munich he came into early contact with National Socialism, joining the Party and the SA., in 1930. By 1931, Fegelein had transferred to the SS.
Fegelein's Waffen SS Obergruppenführer rank was higher than his Allgemeine SS rank of SS Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant der Waffen SS.
On July 25, 1937, Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler, by special order of the Oberabschnitt, created the SS Main Riding School in Munich and made Hermann Fegelein the School Commander. Fegelein rose quickly through the ranks and was briefly sent to the Russian Front in 1943 with the Florian Geyer Cavalry Division, along with members of his SS Riding School. He had served under Reinhard Heydrich, and being an SS Officer, was involved in the Nazi rituals at Wewelsburg Castle.
Fegelein was nicknamed Heinrich Himmler's "Golden Boy". His boyish face and subservient attitude gained him considerable favour with Himmler, who treated him like a son. Himmler granted him the best assignments, the best staff and generous budgets. When he was injured on the Russian Front, Himmler brought him home to work in Hitler's Staff as Himmler's adjutant and representative of the Waffen SS.
His politically arranged marriage to Margarete "Gretl" Braun took place on June 3, 1944 and a two day celebration was held at Hitler's and Martin Bormann's Obersalzberg mountain homes. Photographs of the wedding dinner appeared in Britain's weekly "Picture Post Magazine" the next year after the war ended, showing Hitler at the festivities. A marriage license was obtained at the local town clerk's office and Heinrich Himmler presided over the simple ceremony.
Fegelein became known as a playboy and after his marriage to Gretl Braun had many extramarital affairs. Hitler was apparently aware of Fegelein's dalliances and while not entirely approving, turned a blind eye to them. This was common within Hitler's inner circle. Martin Bormann had ten children with his wife and also kept a mistress, while Heinrich Himmler had children with both his wife and mistress.
From January to April 1945 Fegelein and Martin Bormann controlled access to Hitler's office. After Fegelein's boss, Heinrich Himmler, tried to negotiate a backdoor surrender to the Allies via Count Bernadotte in April 1945, Fegelein left the Reich Chancellery bunker and was caught by SS Obersturmbannführer Peter Högl in his Berlin apartment wearing civilian clothes and apparently preparing to flee to Sweden or Switzerland with his Hungarian mistress. He was carrying cash - German and foreign - and jewelry some of which belonged to Eva Braun. According to most accounts he was intoxicated when arrested and brought back to the bunker.
Following court martial, presided by General Wilhelm Mohnke, Hermann Fegelein was shot in the neck by an SS Scharführer of the Führer Begleitkommando in the garden of the Reichskanzlei. The order came from the Führer himself. His body was thrown into a nearby shellhole and hastily buried.
Fegelein was born in Ansbach in Bavaria. As a young boy he worked at his father's horse riding school in Munich. When it closed due to the worldwide economic depression of the 1920's, he worked as a stable boy for Christian Weber, who in the 1930's, was one of the original members of the Nazi Party.
In 1925 Fegelein joined the Reiterregiment 17, leaving it in 1928 to join the Bavarian State Police in Munich. Whilst in Munich he came into early contact with National Socialism, joining the Party and the SA., in 1930. By 1931, Fegelein had transferred to the SS.
Fegelein's Waffen SS Obergruppenführer rank was higher than his Allgemeine SS rank of SS Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant der Waffen SS.
On July 25, 1937, Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler, by special order of the Oberabschnitt, created the SS Main Riding School in Munich and made Hermann Fegelein the School Commander. Fegelein rose quickly through the ranks and was briefly sent to the Russian Front in 1943 with the Florian Geyer Cavalry Division, along with members of his SS Riding School. He had served under Reinhard Heydrich, and being an SS Officer, was involved in the Nazi rituals at Wewelsburg Castle.
Fegelein was nicknamed Heinrich Himmler's "Golden Boy". His boyish face and subservient attitude gained him considerable favour with Himmler, who treated him like a son. Himmler granted him the best assignments, the best staff and generous budgets. When he was injured on the Russian Front, Himmler brought him home to work in Hitler's Staff as Himmler's adjutant and representative of the Waffen SS.
His politically arranged marriage to Margarete "Gretl" Braun took place on June 3, 1944 and a two day celebration was held at Hitler's and Martin Bormann's Obersalzberg mountain homes. Photographs of the wedding dinner appeared in Britain's weekly "Picture Post Magazine" the next year after the war ended, showing Hitler at the festivities. A marriage license was obtained at the local town clerk's office and Heinrich Himmler presided over the simple ceremony.
Fegelein became known as a playboy and after his marriage to Gretl Braun had many extramarital affairs. Hitler was apparently aware of Fegelein's dalliances and while not entirely approving, turned a blind eye to them. This was common within Hitler's inner circle. Martin Bormann had ten children with his wife and also kept a mistress, while Heinrich Himmler had children with both his wife and mistress.
From January to April 1945 Fegelein and Martin Bormann controlled access to Hitler's office. After Fegelein's boss, Heinrich Himmler, tried to negotiate a backdoor surrender to the Allies via Count Bernadotte in April 1945, Fegelein left the Reich Chancellery bunker and was caught by SS Obersturmbannführer Peter Högl in his Berlin apartment wearing civilian clothes and apparently preparing to flee to Sweden or Switzerland with his Hungarian mistress. He was carrying cash - German and foreign - and jewelry some of which belonged to Eva Braun. According to most accounts he was intoxicated when arrested and brought back to the bunker.
Following court martial, presided by General Wilhelm Mohnke, Hermann Fegelein was shot in the neck by an SS Scharführer of the Führer Begleitkommando in the garden of the Reichskanzlei. The order came from the Führer himself. His body was thrown into a nearby shellhole and hastily buried.
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