Office of Strategic Services Dodd, Martha, Through Embassy Eyes
Hanfstaengl had been calling up and wanting to arrange for
me to meet Hitler. Hanfstaengl spluttered and ranted grandiosely:
"Hitler needs a woman. Hitler should have an American woman -- a
lovely woman could change the whole destiny of Europe.
Martha you are the woman.
p. 63
..We went to the Kaiserhof and met the young Polish singer
Jan Kiepura. The three of us sat talking and drinking tea for
a time. Hitler came in with several men, bodyguards and his
well-loved chauffeur (who was given almost a state funeral
when he died recently.) He sat down unostentatiously at the
table next to us. After a few minutes Jan Kiepura was taken
over to Hitler to talk music to him, and then Putzi left me for
a moment, leaned over the Leader's ear, and returned in a great
state of nervous agitation. He had consented to be introduced
to me. I went over and remained standing as he stood up and
took my hand. He kissed it very politely and murmured a few
words. I knew very little German, as I have indicated at the
time, so I didn't linger long. I shook hands again and he kissed
my hand again, and I went back to the adjoining table with Putzi
and stayed for some time listening to the conversation of the
two music-Iovers and receiving curious, embarrassed stares
from time to time from the Leader.
The first glance left me with a picture of s weak, soft face,
with pouches under the eyes, full lips and very little bony
facial structure. The moustache didn't seem as ridiculous
as it appeared in pictures - in fact, I scarcely noticed it;
but I imagine that is because I was pretty well conditioned
to such things by that time. As has often been said, Hitler's
eyes were startling and unforgetable - they seemed pale blue
in color, were intense, unwavering, hypnotic.
Certainly the eyes were his only distinctive feature. They
could contain fury and fanaticism and cruelty; they could be
mystic and tearful and challenging. This particular afternoon
he was excessive, informal, he had a certain quiet charm,
almost a tenderness of speech and glance. He talked soberly
to Kiepura and seemed very interested and absorbed in meeting
both of us. The curious embarrassment he showed in meeting me,
his somewhat apologetic, nervous manner, my father tells me
and other diplomats as well- are always present when he meets
the diplomatic corps en masse ..... He seemed modest, middle
class, rather dull and self-conscious--yet with this strange
tenderness and, appealing helplessness.
p. 64-65
At Olympic Games:
However, if a German would win, his enthusiasm and good
humor were boundless and he would spring to his feet with
wild and childish joy. In him, in his face and bearing, there
was not the slightest indication that he knew what good
sportsmanship meant, or had any appreciation or understanding
of sport for its own sake ....
p. 211-212
...My mother several times sat very near to him and observed
that in social gatherings he was either glum and wordless or
quite charming and informal. On various occasions he was more
than cordial to young movie stars who hovered around him. A
friend of mine, a rather sensational, sport-loving feminist,
had an informal lunch with him in Munich. She said that he
talked quite like a normal man for the first third of the lunch,
then suddenly got off in a frenzy on a pet subject of his, and
continued in a long and impassioned monologue, scarcely
touching his meager vegetable fare but giving his guests an
opportunity to eat their food leisurely ..... .
p. 211
..It is idle pastime to try to distinguish between the true
and false legends about Hitler's private life. He loved his
mother, hated his father, had no connection at all with his
brothers and sisters--his half-sister, about whom Hitler
never speaks, was found as a cook in a Jewish Household.
A woman cousin killed herself in his apartment. .... strangely
enough there has been no proof that Hitler has ever slept
with a woman ....
..In diplomatic circles, in salon gossip, there was complete
bafflement about Hitler's private life. Names fly back and
forth, of both men and women, but the association with
his name lasts only a few days or weeks.
p. 214
The
original plaintext version
of this file is available via
ftp.
[
Index ]
Home ·
Site Map ·
What's New? ·
Search
Nizkor
© The Nizkor Project, 1991-2012
This site is intended for educational purposes to teach about the Holocaust and
to combat hatred.
Any statements or excerpts found on this site are for educational purposes only.
As part of these educational purposes, Nizkor may
include on this website materials, such as excerpts from the writings of racists and antisemites. Far from approving these writings, Nizkor condemns them and
provides them so that its readers can learn the nature and extent of hate and antisemitic discourse. Nizkor urges the readers of these pages to condemn racist
and hate speech in all of its forms and manifestations.
Hitler Source Book
Through Embassy Eyes
by Martha Dodd