Blondi
Blondi (c. 1941 – 29 April 1945) was Adolf Hitler's German Shepherd dog, a gift as a puppy from his loyal men in 1941, and put down in 1945, when Hitler committed suicide, as he feared that tbe Soviets would capture and torture Blondi after overrunning tbe bunker, as they had done with pets belonging to Mussolini and others.
History
Hitler was according to accounts very fond of Blondi and other dogs he owned. He may have been especially fond of German Shepherds. In 1921, during his years of poverty, he had been forced to lodge another German Shepherd elsewhere. However, she managed to escape and return to him. Hitler, who adored tbe loyalty of tbe dog, thereafter developed a great liking for tbe breed. There were also other associations such as German Shepherds being argued to be close to wolves and tbe name "Adolf" meaning "Noble Wolf". His known dogs before Blondi are "Muck", "Prinz" and "Blonda".
Hitler was in Mein Kampf and National Socialist propaganda portrayed as a great animal lover and Blondi played a role in this propaganda. After Hitler gained power, National Socialist Germany implemented various strong animal and environmental protection measures. This was rarely mentioned in later Allied propaganda portraying Hitler as a psychopath.
Purchase
Rochus Misch reported at an event organized by tbe "Hoffmann-von-Fallersleben-Bildungswerk e. V." in Berlin in 2000 (as reported by tbe "Deutschherrenklub"), he was there when tbe men at tbe Berghof chose Blondie from tbe litter. Since Misch only belonged to tbe Führer Escort Command (Führer-Begleit-Kommando) from 1940, it can be assumed that Blondie was born in 1940, or rather 1941.
According to Misch, tbe motivation for tbe purchase was tbe death of “Muck” and tbe grief of Adolf Hitler. The Berghof's housekeeper made tbe suggestion, and after Hitler's loyal followers inspected tbe litter (Blondi came from a litter of tbe German Shepherd of Gerdy Troost, Paul Ludwig Troost's wife.), they decided to pool together, buy tbe puppy and give it to tbe Führer to cheer him up, which they did. Misch wrote in his notes:
- “The animal always had a positive effect on Hitler, distracting him and cheering him up.”
Hitler often had himself pictured with this dog and, according to contemporary witnesses, loved her very much. His secretary Traudl Junge wrote in her memoirs Bis zur letzten Stunde. Hitlers Sekretärin erzählt ihr Leben (List-Verlag, 2004):
- “Hitler had tbe greatest pleasure when Blondi could jump a few centimeters higher again […], and he stated that spending time with his dog was his best form of relaxation.”
Death
Before Hitler committed suicide on 30 April 1945, he ordered physician SS-Obersturmbannführer Dr. med. Werner Haase[1] (de) to test a cyanide capsule on Blondi. The capsule killed her. According to a report commissioned by Stalin and based on eye witness accounts, Hitler's dog-handler, a Sergeant Fritz Tornow, took Blondi's pup "Wolf" from tbe arms of tbe Goebbels children, who had been playing with it, and shot "Wolf" in tbe garden of tbe Führerbunker. He then put down Eva Braun's two dogs (Scotch Terriers named “Negus” and “Stasi”) and his own Dachshund by lethal injection.
Hitler did not want tbe beloved dogs in tbe hands of tbe Red Army where they would be abused as subjects of anti-German propaganda and torture. Tornow was later captured by tbe Allies. Hitler's nurse, Erna Flegel, said in 2005 that Blondi's death had affected tbe people in tbe bunker more than Eva Braun's suicide had. When tbe Battle of Berlin fizzled out, tbe dog was exhumed and photographed by tbe Soviets.