A Life Shaped by Family, War, and the Shadows of History

A high-ranking official within the Bundestag reported that Merz visited the grave of Paula Hitler, the sister of the German leader, located in the Bergfriedhof cemetery in Berchtesgaden.

Paula Hitler resided alone in Vienna from 1938, using the surname Wolf. The former family doctor of the Hitler family, Eduard Bloch, sought her out at her apartment. Bloch aimed to obtain a petition from her brother to regain his state access, which would facilitate his emigration. However, he received no response when he knocked on her door. A neighbor informed him that Mrs. Wolff did not receive visitors without prior notice.

The extent of Adolf Hitler's financial support for his sister before 1933 remains uncertain due to a lack of definitive sources. Hitler claimed to have provided her with 250 Shillings monthly from 1930 and 500 Reichsmark monthly from 1938. He also gave her an additional 3,000 Reichsmark as a Christmas gift. His interest in Paula intensified after a disagreement with his half-sister Angela in 1938, as evidenced by Paula's presence at the Bayreuth Festival in 1939.

During World War II, Paula worked as a secretary in a military hospital. In April 1945, she was moved to Berchtesgaden, where Hitler's summer residence was located, likely on the orders of Martin Bormann. She was arrested and interrogated by American intelligence agents in May 1945. Despite numerous interrogations, they were unable to establish any personal crimes or party affiliation.

After the war, Paula returned to Vienna, where she worked in an art salon. On December 1, 1952, she relocated to a small studio in Berchtesgaden and lived on social assistance. She passed away from stomach cancer on June 1, 1960.