December 2, 2022 • 24 mins
In the waning days of World War II the simmering conflict between Dromyrk and Hitler comes to a violent end.
The Hitler File is a production of Voyage Media. The series is produced by Nat Mundel, Robert Mitas, and Dan Benamor. Directed and produced by Dan Benamor. Written by Desmond Fosbery, based on the novel The Dromyrk File by Brandon Rolfe. You can find the novel on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dromyrk-File-Brandon-Rolfe/dp/1909204943
Starring Peter Stormare, as Dr. Dromyrk, Denis O’Hare, as Adolf Hitler, Kieren Van Den Blink as Tilda Mannleifen, Jerome St. Jerome as Krunz, and Gianluca Malacrino as Falzoni. Edited, sound designed and mixed by Nick Messitte. Original music by Derlis Gonzalez.
If you’re enjoying the show, please leave us a 5 star review in Apple Podcasts or anywhere you’re listening, and subscribe now for future episodes.
The Hitler File is a production of Voyage Media. The series is produced by Nat Mundel, Robert Mitas, and Dan Benamor. Directed and produced by Dan Benamor. Written by Desmond Fosbery, based on the novel The Dromyrk File by Brandon Rolfe. You can find the novel on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dromyrk-File-Brandon-Rolfe/dp/1909204943
Starring Peter Stormare, as Dr. Dromyrk, Denis O’Hare, as Adolf Hitler, Kieren Van Den Blink as Tilda Mannleifen, Jerome St. Jerome as Krunz, and Gianluca Malacrino as Falzoni. Edited, sound designed and mixed by Nick Messitte. Original music by Derlis Gonzalez.
If you’re enjoying the show, please leave us a 5 star review in Apple Podcasts or anywhere you’re listening, and subscribe now for future episodes.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:09):
The two Gestapo officials were here toarrest me. The nurse had already left
and returned with a clean sheet asthey pulled me to my feet, and
the three of them proceeded to wrapit around my blooded clothes. Then they
led me from the room with asoulful tableau. The nurse relocked the door
(00:32):
and went the other way. Noneof them uttered a word, one last
unforgivable sin against my tilty. Shewas erased from this world without fanfare,
like a death had not occurred.I realized that I was under arrest as
(00:58):
they loaded me, still sigh little, into the back of their vehicle and
set themselves on either side of me, then motioned to the driver to set
off towards Berlin. Who but mydamned former colleague Bernheim, would have set
me up like this. The firstword either of them spoke was when one
(01:22):
of them asked me where I lived, and I told him. He instructed
the driver to go there, andreaching my apartment, they instructed me to
clean up, change and bring asuitcase of my necessities. It looked as
if I was to be away frommy home for a while, and at
least I was not going to beshot right away in some allie when my
(01:49):
case, stone and trunk, Iwas ushered into the back of the car
and we set off once again.As we drove back into Berlin, was
formulating my plan to destroy Hitler.I needed to undermine his egomania, his
overbearing sense of superiority, and toplant the seed or doubt into his subconscious
(02:15):
and get them to germinate and grow. I would use my old professor Freud's
technique simple coersion, by a continuous, subtle delivery of keywords into our conversation
that would impinge upon his subconscious withouthis awareness. In that way, I
(02:36):
would soft him enough, slowly convertinghis sense of strength into one of weakness,
and finally get him onto that slipperydownward slope to self destruction. Eventually
we arrived at a rye Chauserie andI was taken through the gardens at the
back up to a narrow entrance leadingdown to an underground complex that I was
(03:00):
told was the fuer Bunker. Ithad been Hitler's Berlin headquarters since the beginning
of the year. Sounds of Wagner'smusic drifted up from below as we descended
the narrow stone stairs. When wewere deep underground. I suspected I was
(03:23):
to meet once more with a manI had avowed to kill in spite of
the loyalty I held to my hypocriticoath as a physician. Suddenly we were
face to face. My escorts leftwithout a further word. Welcome to the
(03:43):
fure bunker home. This is mynew home, yours too, so we
may at last continue our devapy sessions. The bunker complex was well furnished,
with fine carpets and oil paintings hangingon the walls. Passages led up to
other accommodations and facilities, but beingbelow the water table, it was prone
(04:08):
to dampness, and the pumping systemran constantly to remove ground order that collected
in some tank. As for myhost, I saw at once that he
was ailing. He was infirm,and his gait was shuffling. He held
his left arm that shook uncontrollably behindhis back. His weakness triggered an idea,
(04:33):
A twisted use of lessons I've learnedfrom Freud against their therapeutic intent,
a subliminal technique. I found youagain thanks to our friend Bernheim. You
were a great disappointment to me.Doctor continuing to avoid me like that,
without warning and leaving no messages whenyou changed your address, I'm sorry,
(04:58):
I can't tell seeing your unknees.It's best that we're together now. My
practice diminished and I moved to asmaller apartment further from the city center.
I needed time to myself and tokeep in touch with my aging family.
It's a difficult times, and certainpeople must remain at their posts because of
(05:20):
my strength. I haven't needed youalways, but when I need you,
you must be prepared to sort of. We all have moments of weakness,
and my mother was sick and failing. Then I found out I could not
liberally in to visitor that I canunderstand. And now my mother died and
(05:41):
I've arranged care back in Sweden formy aging father. Perhaps you started again
to look for your former love,the famous and beautiful miss Manlife. I
could have strangled him for a moment, I genuinely thought it through. How
long can I squeeze before his personalguards burst in? If I was to
(06:02):
die, I wanted to be certainthat he went with me. Instead,
I forced myself to utter the awfultruth less than two hours old. She's
dead. I no longer wish tohear her name. Ah, yeah,
(06:26):
I see you are looking at hisleft arm of mine. It shakes.
Yeah. You are human, fragileas the rest of us. There is
no shame in the weakness of ahuman body. They tried to assassinate me
again. This time they might havesucceeded, but once more I had my
divine protection, but those around meperished. They have been trying to kill
(06:48):
me since nineteen thirty two and havenever succeeded. I shall never succeed.
I shall kill myself before any ofthem shall do so. To understand me,
doctor, I knew then that mytask to destroy Hitler would be easier
once he had voiced the possibility ofhis own suicide. Of course, mine
(07:09):
fere I had seven thousand arrested afterlast July Treason's bombing attempt on my life.
Seven thousand, almost five thousand ofthem have now been executed. That's
how I deal with treachery and betrayal. Doctor. Surely not all of those
can have been guilty. Of coursethey be guilty. If I say they
(07:31):
be guilty, they be guilty.You're right, I'm pure. The more
they betray you, the more adamantyou must read to destroy them even to
the last man. You see him. Now you agree with my methods.
Do you know that I am protectedby even the youth of charming young angel
also to die for the fear thatis loyalty, Doctor, Even from kindergarten,
(07:58):
they rise up in my defense.The Red Army may be approaching bellion,
but they meet with the blazing fileof young Germanic intensity that would destroy
them before they can impinge upon ourresolve for greater Germany. The younger they
are, the more love, respectand loyalty. They will have what they
lack in physical strength. They willprovide in spiritual fortitude, much as you
(08:22):
do in your weakened state. Hislack of ribottal was striking. A few
years prior, such a comment wouldhave sent him into a rage. The
sounds of the Russian army advancing fromthe east and the north became ever more
evident. During the brief periods Iwas permitted to walk with him and his
(08:46):
beloved German shepherd Bitch Blondie, andthe garden above my subterranean cellite quarters.
Our therapy sessions hardly classified as such, academically, being having more to my
listening to his ravings about Valhalla andreincarnation, and his positive plans for the
(09:07):
future, in spite of the overwhelmingodds against this ever happening, getting worse
day by day. So what doyou suppose the Russian will do when they
get there? I fear for thecities, women and children. The Russian
soldiers are not as moral and disciplinedas yours. My impure to say the
(09:28):
least. They're savages. They cometo get you, they never get you.
I am impregnable. It was justthe two of us. There was
no audience. This conversation was notbeing broadcast. Yet Is still maintained his
fanatical bluster, playing to the backrow of the theater, even with an
(09:48):
audience of one. But just supposingthey do reach this bunker, we are
in an increasingly weakened position, arewe not. Where do you suppose will
be the fate of the women andthe children? Have you considered what they
will do to you? You neverlistened to me, doctor, Did I
not say, yeah, impregnable?Heaven itself my collapse upon us if you
(10:11):
shall remain safe within his forts.I had a thousand year like so triumph
over all opposition. In fact,he'd only say he was impregnable. He
turned and shuffled off, speaking toone of the domestic attendants passing by,
have someone show doctor Drum to hisquarters. After a couple of weeks closed
(10:45):
certainly held against my will. Whenthe fewer barriers of his close associates,
including the Gobble's family Joseph, hiswife, six children, five small daughters,
and a young son, I beganto experienced symptoms that at first I
put down to the food we werebeing served. It was not particularly good
(11:09):
and was being prepared in the crampedand damp and environment in which we existed.
Hitler, whose diet was vegetarian,seemed not to be affected. His
vegetarian choice was a contradiction that perhapstroubled me all the more for his insistence
(11:31):
it was out of concern for animalssuffering unwinding that alone would be enough to
drive me mad. Regardless, Icontinued to experience diarrhea, luring on my
vision, and constant skin irritation.I came to realize that it was me
alone and I was being poisoned slowly, and the symptoms were those of slow
(11:58):
poisoning with arsenic Such poisoning could onlybe administered in food of beverages. So
I stopped taking coffee and tea andif it served to me individually, and
I avoided food that could only beenpurposely tainted for my consumption, and I
immediately realized hitless intent. He,of course, had been obsessing over what
(12:24):
his enemies would do to him whenthey reached his bunker. It was when
now, not if he would notbe taken alive. If he was gone
to be driven finally to commit suicide, those now around him, his loyal
followers, would have to fall asuit or be murdered the mutual suicide pacts.
(12:50):
As he could not rely on mycompliance, he was killing me slowly
and probably getting considerable my line satisfactionwhile doing so. On April sixteenth,
we heard that the Red Army hadsurrounded the outskirts of Berlin, and emotional
(13:11):
tension among the inhabitants of the bunker, except for Hitler increased. Conversations became
stilted, and brief temper were onthe edge. Only the quiet background music
of Wagner or Beethoven so often filledthe prolonged silence that were pervasive. By
this time, I had become cautiousof anything I ate unless it was being
(13:35):
generally consumed. Even then, Iate and drank parsingly. On April the
twentieth, the Red Army began shellingBerlin. They could only be days away
from our refuge. It happened tobe Hitler's fifty sixth birthday, and I
(13:56):
allowed myself to enjoy some of hisspecial birthday cake and the other treats being
served at our communal, though restrainedcelebration. Subsequent days passed in rapid succession,
while my symptoms continued unbaited, andI was in fear of my survival.
(14:16):
Somehow I had to stop ingesting thepoison I was being fed. And
during this time Martin Bormann, Hitler'sprivate secretary, found a willing drinking partner
in Hermann Fieedline, a lieutenant generalin the Baffin Essays attached to the bunker
(14:37):
staff, a close associate of Himmler. He had been married for less than
a year to Gretel Brown, Eva'ssister, so he was now her brother
in law. As moral in ourtightly closed community continued to deteriorate, those
two offers has made good use oftheir time, invading the wine storage area
(15:01):
and starting early in the mornings.They were in a state of half ineberration
most of the day, and Gretelwas on the verge of giving birth to
the first child, and as aconsequence, Hermann had little time for her.
Meanwhile, she and Eva remained titlebonded as loving sisters. By April
(15:22):
twenty seven, Berlin was cut offfrom the rest of Germany as Hitler's reserved
forces failed to push back the RedArmy. It was that day that Hitler
realized Fugeline was not at his postin the fure of Bunker. It was
a fact that among his colleagues,Figeline was nicknamed Flageline, pertaining to the
(15:46):
German word flakel an impertinent louts Fageline, find your putnent lout bringing me up
me. Later that day, adisheveled, half drunk Figion was brought back
to the Bunker to face Hittler,who was put into a locked cell while
(16:07):
his captors reported to their few.He had been found as his Berlin apartment,
half drunk, civilian clothes with aquantity of cash and jewelry, some
of which belonged to Eva, inpreparation of fleeing to Sweden or Switzerland.
Having been unwilling to engage in anysuicide packed that he was at least wise
(16:33):
enough to know was coming. Frompapers found in his briefcase, it appeared
that his close associate Ss Richenfil Himmlerwas currently in secret peace negotiations with Western
Allies. The following day, thetwenty eight, Hitler heard of a BBC
(16:56):
radio report confirming that Himmler had indeedbeing negotiating with the Allies for peace terms.
And this was perhaps the cruelest insultof all to him. Then Rat
Timbler, heavimnisted immediately and bringing tome, I delivered him right here.
(17:17):
That's a Fige line that deserted cooperatingwith the Rat. I have him port
marshaled. Set it up now today, right now, Chia and now I
Jia, by stupid of all ranksand honors, get on visits. At
the rapid convene court martial head aboutGeneral Monk Herman Figlan was found guilty of
(17:37):
desertion and sentenced to death. Despitethe pleading of his sister in Loeva,
Hitler remained adamant that the sentence shouldbe carried out immediately. Figlin was taken
up to the garden and shot inthe back of the head. A few
minutes later, without any sign orshred of emotion, Hitler told me he
(18:00):
needed to speak to me privately,to you and I've always been close,
You've been inside my head. ForHeaven's sake, what can I do for
Eva? She knows Fagline had tobe dead with but she's upset for her
sisters sake. Will marry her,Adolf, She will make you whole.
(18:21):
He'd started letting me call him Adolfand prout of other people. No one
commented on it, but it wasthe surest sign of his descent. Perhaps
it made him feel good, likewe were actually friends here. Yes,
as your enemies approached, of course, you will eventually defeat them. But
(18:44):
it's quite romantic, don't you thinkyou know the mind of women as well?
Doctor? The Greeks believed that whentwo people are married, should they
die, they travel to the underworldtogether. I had no idea if that
was true. I just made itup on the spot, an appeal to
hitless love of ancient mythology, onelast little punch off the edge of his
(19:11):
psychological roof. Very well, Evaand I are to be married tonight.
A quiet ceremony, but just thewitness's present. Yeah, I'm very pleased
for you both. They had beenmarried for some thirty hours before the following
(19:42):
night. In the early hours ofApril the thirtieth, I heard a gunshot.
I was told later in the dayby Joseph Cobbles that if you were
a NEIGHVA had medituside. I hadto admit I took a grim but significant
(20:06):
satisfaction in death, and a cruelsmile tugged at my lips. True to
his earlier pronouncement, Hitler has shothimself after seeing Eva take a fatal dose
of cyanide, and having swallowed thesame himself. He had foreseen his and
(20:26):
her likely treatment had they fallen intothe hands of the Russians. Simple assassinations
would not have been sufficient to satisfythe invaders vengeful ambitions. Things were getting
worse when I found out later inthe day that I had been locked inside
(20:47):
my quarters. On the second dayof May, a god brought me food
on a tray and informed me thatthe Goubble's family were God. When I
asked where, he pointed his forefingerheavenwards and crossed himself all dead. He
said the parents had apparently poisoned theirsix small children and then committed suicide.
(21:14):
I asked him what above those whostill remained. He said they were all
planning to break out towards the West, hoping to surrender to the Americans rather
than face the vengeful Russians. Whatabout me, I asked. He replied
that he had been given orders tokeep me in prison, and he left
me with a parting remark, It'sbetter for you. If the Russians find
(21:38):
you as a prisoner, then maybethey will let you out. I asked
him, why should I not breakout with the wrist, to which he
replied and be shot as the restof us probably will. He made a
good case for my remaining as aprisoner. Even if I was slowly dying
(22:00):
from being poisoned. At least Iwould not be served any more deadly food
starvation seemed a better option here.Now, reflecting on my old, too
short, but at times painfully longlife, I've flushed this final serving of
food and drink down the toilet,as I've been doing ever since I've been
(22:26):
locked in here. I'm getting weaker, but I must avoid dehydration to prolong
my ability to survive. I dippeda glass of water from the toilet tank
as its refilled, and drank itthirstily, and dipped another. Can I
(22:49):
survive until the Russians come down?Here? Will have just bombed the place
from above to make sure there areno survivors. Now, surely they will
come down to find prisoners and searchfor documents and booty. Do I know
sufficient Russian to engage them enough tohave them release me and not to shoot
(23:14):
me out of hand? As andinconvenient obstacle? For all my study of
languages when I was young, Ifound French, German, English easy enough?
Why didn't I try harder at Russia? I'm so tired. When I
(23:37):
sleep, I can see Tilde andhow she was, so I just need
to sleep to sleep. The HitlerFile is a production of Voyage Media.
(24:03):
The series is produced by nap Mondel, Robert Midas and Dan Benomore, directed
and produced by Dan Benemore, Writtenby Desmond Fosbery, based on the novel
The Drameric File by Brandon Rolfe,starring Peter stormare Is doctor Drmieric, and
Denis O'Hare as Adolf Hitler. Additionalcast credits available in the show notes.
(24:26):
Edited sound designed and mixed by NickMissidi. Original music by Darlas Gonzalice.
If you're enjoying the show, pleaseleave us a five star review in Apple
Podcasts or anywhere you're listening, andsubscribe now for future episodes.
The two Gestapo officials were here toarrest me. The nurse had already left
and returned with a clean sheet asthey pulled me to my feet, and
the three of them proceeded to wrapit around my blooded clothes. Then they
led me from the room with asoulful tableau. The nurse relocked the door
(00:32):
and went the other way. Noneof them uttered a word, one last
unforgivable sin against my tilty. Shewas erased from this world without fanfare,
like a death had not occurred.I realized that I was under arrest as
(00:58):
they loaded me, still sigh little, into the back of their vehicle and
set themselves on either side of me, then motioned to the driver to set
off towards Berlin. Who but mydamned former colleague Bernheim, would have set
me up like this. The firstword either of them spoke was when one
(01:22):
of them asked me where I lived, and I told him. He instructed
the driver to go there, andreaching my apartment, they instructed me to
clean up, change and bring asuitcase of my necessities. It looked as
if I was to be away frommy home for a while, and at
least I was not going to beshot right away in some allie when my
(01:49):
case, stone and trunk, Iwas ushered into the back of the car
and we set off once again.As we drove back into Berlin, was
formulating my plan to destroy Hitler.I needed to undermine his egomania, his
overbearing sense of superiority, and toplant the seed or doubt into his subconscious
(02:15):
and get them to germinate and grow. I would use my old professor Freud's
technique simple coersion, by a continuous, subtle delivery of keywords into our conversation
that would impinge upon his subconscious withouthis awareness. In that way, I
(02:36):
would soft him enough, slowly convertinghis sense of strength into one of weakness,
and finally get him onto that slipperydownward slope to self destruction. Eventually
we arrived at a rye Chauserie andI was taken through the gardens at the
back up to a narrow entrance leadingdown to an underground complex that I was
(03:00):
told was the fuer Bunker. Ithad been Hitler's Berlin headquarters since the beginning
of the year. Sounds of Wagner'smusic drifted up from below as we descended
the narrow stone stairs. When wewere deep underground. I suspected I was
(03:23):
to meet once more with a manI had avowed to kill in spite of
the loyalty I held to my hypocriticoath as a physician. Suddenly we were
face to face. My escorts leftwithout a further word. Welcome to the
(03:43):
fure bunker home. This is mynew home, yours too, so we
may at last continue our devapy sessions. The bunker complex was well furnished,
with fine carpets and oil paintings hangingon the walls. Passages led up to
other accommodations and facilities, but beingbelow the water table, it was prone
(04:08):
to dampness, and the pumping systemran constantly to remove ground order that collected
in some tank. As for myhost, I saw at once that he
was ailing. He was infirm,and his gait was shuffling. He held
his left arm that shook uncontrollably behindhis back. His weakness triggered an idea,
(04:33):
A twisted use of lessons I've learnedfrom Freud against their therapeutic intent,
a subliminal technique. I found youagain thanks to our friend Bernheim. You
were a great disappointment to me.Doctor continuing to avoid me like that,
without warning and leaving no messages whenyou changed your address, I'm sorry,
(04:58):
I can't tell seeing your unknees.It's best that we're together now. My
practice diminished and I moved to asmaller apartment further from the city center.
I needed time to myself and tokeep in touch with my aging family.
It's a difficult times, and certainpeople must remain at their posts because of
(05:20):
my strength. I haven't needed youalways, but when I need you,
you must be prepared to sort of. We all have moments of weakness,
and my mother was sick and failing. Then I found out I could not
liberally in to visitor that I canunderstand. And now my mother died and
(05:41):
I've arranged care back in Sweden formy aging father. Perhaps you started again
to look for your former love,the famous and beautiful miss Manlife. I
could have strangled him for a moment, I genuinely thought it through. How
long can I squeeze before his personalguards burst in? If I was to
(06:02):
die, I wanted to be certainthat he went with me. Instead,
I forced myself to utter the awfultruth less than two hours old. She's
dead. I no longer wish tohear her name. Ah, yeah,
(06:26):
I see you are looking at hisleft arm of mine. It shakes.
Yeah. You are human, fragileas the rest of us. There is
no shame in the weakness of ahuman body. They tried to assassinate me
again. This time they might havesucceeded, but once more I had my
divine protection, but those around meperished. They have been trying to kill
(06:48):
me since nineteen thirty two and havenever succeeded. I shall never succeed.
I shall kill myself before any ofthem shall do so. To understand me,
doctor, I knew then that mytask to destroy Hitler would be easier
once he had voiced the possibility ofhis own suicide. Of course, mine
(07:09):
fere I had seven thousand arrested afterlast July Treason's bombing attempt on my life.
Seven thousand, almost five thousand ofthem have now been executed. That's
how I deal with treachery and betrayal. Doctor. Surely not all of those
can have been guilty. Of coursethey be guilty. If I say they
(07:31):
be guilty, they be guilty.You're right, I'm pure. The more
they betray you, the more adamantyou must read to destroy them even to
the last man. You see him. Now you agree with my methods.
Do you know that I am protectedby even the youth of charming young angel
also to die for the fear thatis loyalty, Doctor, Even from kindergarten,
(07:58):
they rise up in my defense.The Red Army may be approaching bellion,
but they meet with the blazing fileof young Germanic intensity that would destroy
them before they can impinge upon ourresolve for greater Germany. The younger they
are, the more love, respectand loyalty. They will have what they
lack in physical strength. They willprovide in spiritual fortitude, much as you
(08:22):
do in your weakened state. Hislack of ribottal was striking. A few
years prior, such a comment wouldhave sent him into a rage. The
sounds of the Russian army advancing fromthe east and the north became ever more
evident. During the brief periods Iwas permitted to walk with him and his
(08:46):
beloved German shepherd Bitch Blondie, andthe garden above my subterranean cellite quarters.
Our therapy sessions hardly classified as such, academically, being having more to my
listening to his ravings about Valhalla andreincarnation, and his positive plans for the
(09:07):
future, in spite of the overwhelmingodds against this ever happening, getting worse
day by day. So what doyou suppose the Russian will do when they
get there? I fear for thecities, women and children. The Russian
soldiers are not as moral and disciplinedas yours. My impure to say the
(09:28):
least. They're savages. They cometo get you, they never get you.
I am impregnable. It was justthe two of us. There was
no audience. This conversation was notbeing broadcast. Yet Is still maintained his
fanatical bluster, playing to the backrow of the theater, even with an
(09:48):
audience of one. But just supposingthey do reach this bunker, we are
in an increasingly weakened position, arewe not. Where do you suppose will
be the fate of the women andthe children? Have you considered what they
will do to you? You neverlistened to me, doctor, Did I
not say, yeah, impregnable?Heaven itself my collapse upon us if you
(10:11):
shall remain safe within his forts.I had a thousand year like so triumph
over all opposition. In fact,he'd only say he was impregnable. He
turned and shuffled off, speaking toone of the domestic attendants passing by,
have someone show doctor Drum to hisquarters. After a couple of weeks closed
(10:45):
certainly held against my will. Whenthe fewer barriers of his close associates,
including the Gobble's family Joseph, hiswife, six children, five small daughters,
and a young son, I beganto experienced symptoms that at first I
put down to the food we werebeing served. It was not particularly good
(11:09):
and was being prepared in the crampedand damp and environment in which we existed.
Hitler, whose diet was vegetarian,seemed not to be affected. His
vegetarian choice was a contradiction that perhapstroubled me all the more for his insistence
(11:31):
it was out of concern for animalssuffering unwinding that alone would be enough to
drive me mad. Regardless, Icontinued to experience diarrhea, luring on my
vision, and constant skin irritation.I came to realize that it was me
alone and I was being poisoned slowly, and the symptoms were those of slow
(11:58):
poisoning with arsenic Such poisoning could onlybe administered in food of beverages. So
I stopped taking coffee and tea andif it served to me individually, and
I avoided food that could only beenpurposely tainted for my consumption, and I
immediately realized hitless intent. He,of course, had been obsessing over what
(12:24):
his enemies would do to him whenthey reached his bunker. It was when
now, not if he would notbe taken alive. If he was gone
to be driven finally to commit suicide, those now around him, his loyal
followers, would have to fall asuit or be murdered the mutual suicide pacts.
(12:50):
As he could not rely on mycompliance, he was killing me slowly
and probably getting considerable my line satisfactionwhile doing so. On April sixteenth,
we heard that the Red Army hadsurrounded the outskirts of Berlin, and emotional
(13:11):
tension among the inhabitants of the bunker, except for Hitler increased. Conversations became
stilted, and brief temper were onthe edge. Only the quiet background music
of Wagner or Beethoven so often filledthe prolonged silence that were pervasive. By
this time, I had become cautiousof anything I ate unless it was being
(13:35):
generally consumed. Even then, Iate and drank parsingly. On April the
twentieth, the Red Army began shellingBerlin. They could only be days away
from our refuge. It happened tobe Hitler's fifty sixth birthday, and I
(13:56):
allowed myself to enjoy some of hisspecial birthday cake and the other treats being
served at our communal, though restrainedcelebration. Subsequent days passed in rapid succession,
while my symptoms continued unbaited, andI was in fear of my survival.
(14:16):
Somehow I had to stop ingesting thepoison I was being fed. And
during this time Martin Bormann, Hitler'sprivate secretary, found a willing drinking partner
in Hermann Fieedline, a lieutenant generalin the Baffin Essays attached to the bunker
(14:37):
staff, a close associate of Himmler. He had been married for less than
a year to Gretel Brown, Eva'ssister, so he was now her brother
in law. As moral in ourtightly closed community continued to deteriorate, those
two offers has made good use oftheir time, invading the wine storage area
(15:01):
and starting early in the mornings.They were in a state of half ineberration
most of the day, and Gretelwas on the verge of giving birth to
the first child, and as aconsequence, Hermann had little time for her.
Meanwhile, she and Eva remained titlebonded as loving sisters. By April
(15:22):
twenty seven, Berlin was cut offfrom the rest of Germany as Hitler's reserved
forces failed to push back the RedArmy. It was that day that Hitler
realized Fugeline was not at his postin the fure of Bunker. It was
a fact that among his colleagues,Figeline was nicknamed Flageline, pertaining to the
(15:46):
German word flakel an impertinent louts Fageline, find your putnent lout bringing me up
me. Later that day, adisheveled, half drunk Figion was brought back
to the Bunker to face Hittler,who was put into a locked cell while
(16:07):
his captors reported to their few.He had been found as his Berlin apartment,
half drunk, civilian clothes with aquantity of cash and jewelry, some
of which belonged to Eva, inpreparation of fleeing to Sweden or Switzerland.
Having been unwilling to engage in anysuicide packed that he was at least wise
(16:33):
enough to know was coming. Frompapers found in his briefcase, it appeared
that his close associate Ss Richenfil Himmlerwas currently in secret peace negotiations with Western
Allies. The following day, thetwenty eight, Hitler heard of a BBC
(16:56):
radio report confirming that Himmler had indeedbeing negotiating with the Allies for peace terms.
And this was perhaps the cruelest insultof all to him. Then Rat
Timbler, heavimnisted immediately and bringing tome, I delivered him right here.
(17:17):
That's a Fige line that deserted cooperatingwith the Rat. I have him port
marshaled. Set it up now today, right now, Chia and now I
Jia, by stupid of all ranksand honors, get on visits. At
the rapid convene court martial head aboutGeneral Monk Herman Figlan was found guilty of
(17:37):
desertion and sentenced to death. Despitethe pleading of his sister in Loeva,
Hitler remained adamant that the sentence shouldbe carried out immediately. Figlin was taken
up to the garden and shot inthe back of the head. A few
minutes later, without any sign orshred of emotion, Hitler told me he
(18:00):
needed to speak to me privately,to you and I've always been close,
You've been inside my head. ForHeaven's sake, what can I do for
Eva? She knows Fagline had tobe dead with but she's upset for her
sisters sake. Will marry her,Adolf, She will make you whole.
(18:21):
He'd started letting me call him Adolfand prout of other people. No one
commented on it, but it wasthe surest sign of his descent. Perhaps
it made him feel good, likewe were actually friends here. Yes,
as your enemies approached, of course, you will eventually defeat them. But
(18:44):
it's quite romantic, don't you thinkyou know the mind of women as well?
Doctor? The Greeks believed that whentwo people are married, should they
die, they travel to the underworldtogether. I had no idea if that
was true. I just made itup on the spot, an appeal to
hitless love of ancient mythology, onelast little punch off the edge of his
(19:11):
psychological roof. Very well, Evaand I are to be married tonight.
A quiet ceremony, but just thewitness's present. Yeah, I'm very pleased
for you both. They had beenmarried for some thirty hours before the following
(19:42):
night. In the early hours ofApril the thirtieth, I heard a gunshot.
I was told later in the dayby Joseph Cobbles that if you were
a NEIGHVA had medituside. I hadto admit I took a grim but significant
(20:06):
satisfaction in death, and a cruelsmile tugged at my lips. True to
his earlier pronouncement, Hitler has shothimself after seeing Eva take a fatal dose
of cyanide, and having swallowed thesame himself. He had foreseen his and
(20:26):
her likely treatment had they fallen intothe hands of the Russians. Simple assassinations
would not have been sufficient to satisfythe invaders vengeful ambitions. Things were getting
worse when I found out later inthe day that I had been locked inside
(20:47):
my quarters. On the second dayof May, a god brought me food
on a tray and informed me thatthe Goubble's family were God. When I
asked where, he pointed his forefingerheavenwards and crossed himself all dead. He
said the parents had apparently poisoned theirsix small children and then committed suicide.
(21:14):
I asked him what above those whostill remained. He said they were all
planning to break out towards the West, hoping to surrender to the Americans rather
than face the vengeful Russians. Whatabout me, I asked. He replied
that he had been given orders tokeep me in prison, and he left
me with a parting remark, It'sbetter for you. If the Russians find
(21:38):
you as a prisoner, then maybethey will let you out. I asked
him, why should I not breakout with the wrist, to which he
replied and be shot as the restof us probably will. He made a
good case for my remaining as aprisoner. Even if I was slowly dying
(22:00):
from being poisoned. At least Iwould not be served any more deadly food
starvation seemed a better option here.Now, reflecting on my old, too
short, but at times painfully longlife, I've flushed this final serving of
food and drink down the toilet,as I've been doing ever since I've been
(22:26):
locked in here. I'm getting weaker, but I must avoid dehydration to prolong
my ability to survive. I dippeda glass of water from the toilet tank
as its refilled, and drank itthirstily, and dipped another. Can I
(22:49):
survive until the Russians come down?Here? Will have just bombed the place
from above to make sure there areno survivors. Now, surely they will
come down to find prisoners and searchfor documents and booty. Do I know
sufficient Russian to engage them enough tohave them release me and not to shoot
(23:14):
me out of hand? As andinconvenient obstacle? For all my study of
languages when I was young, Ifound French, German, English easy enough?
Why didn't I try harder at Russia? I'm so tired. When I
(23:37):
sleep, I can see Tilde andhow she was, so I just need
to sleep to sleep. The HitlerFile is a production of Voyage Media.
(24:03):
The series is produced by nap Mondel, Robert Midas and Dan Benomore, directed
and produced by Dan Benemore, Writtenby Desmond Fosbery, based on the novel
The Drameric File by Brandon Rolfe,starring Peter stormare Is doctor Drmieric, and
Denis O'Hare as Adolf Hitler. Additionalcast credits available in the show notes.
(24:26):
Edited sound designed and mixed by NickMissidi. Original music by Darlas Gonzalice.
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