Charles Hamilton - The Hitler Diaries: Fakes That Fooled the World

THE HITLER DIARIES

Fakes that Fooled the World

CHARLES
HAMILTON

Copyright 1991 by The University Press of Kentucky

Paperback edition 2009

The University Press of Kentucky

Scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth,

serving Bellarmine University, Berea College, Centre

College of Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky University,

The Filson Historical Society, Georgetown College,

Kentucky Historical Society, Kentucky State University,

Morehead State University, Murray State University,

Northern Kentucky University, Transylvania University,

University of Kentucky, University of Louisville,

and Western Kentucky University.

All rights reserved.

Editorial and Sales Offices: The University Press of Kentucky

663 South Limestone Street, Lexington, Kentucky 40508-4008

www.kentuckypress.com

Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from
the Library of Congress.

ISBN 978-0-8131-9308-3 (pbk: acid-free paper)

This book is printed on acid-free recycled paper meeting
the requirements of the American National Standard
for Permanence in Paper for Printed Library Materials.

Manufactured in the United States of America.

Illustrations follow

To all the friends who have aided me in this difficult project Id like to express my unalloyed thanks. A chronicle of all my debts might fill several pages or more, but there are a few whom I wish especially to mention.

Susan Miller, during the period when the Hitler diaries were in the news, constantly aided and advised me and rescued me from the confusion attendant upon flurry after flurry of press conferences.

Marie Bernard, on my behalf and without compensation, undertook to transmute into English lengthy passages of what Mark Twain called that awful German language. In addition, she maintained a pipeline with friends in Germany who kept me up to date with the latest local developments in the case.

Dianne Barbaro, as my friend and executive assistant, gave me the benefit of her womans intuition and organizational ability when I exhibited symptoms of foundering.

Stephen Bumball of Rahway, N.J., close friend and former U.S. Army counter intelligence agent, put at my disposal his rich knowledge of the Third Reich and aided me in difficult translations.

Paul Steiner, freelance reporter and fount of all arcane knowledge on Hitlers Germany, not only assisted me in translations but kept me informed on undercurrents and crosscurrents in the Hitler diaries fiasco.

Haley Garrison, Seymour Kessler, and Ann Petz all sent me news clippings that would otherwise have eluded my attention.

Carolyn Compton, old friend and secretary, fielded with great skill the barrage of telephone calls and inquiries that threatened to submerge me.

Peter Stahl of Grass Valley, California, an expert on the Third Reich, frequently gave me the benefit of his well-informed views.

Kenneth W. Rendell of Newton, Massachusetts, noted expert on handwriting, related to me his fascinating personal experiences at Newsweek during the Hitler diaries period.

Gitta Sereny, investigative reporter for the London Sunday Times, briefed me on the background of the Hitler diaries as they were viewed by the English.

Kurt Groenewold, attorney for the forger Konrad Kujau, furnished me with inside information on the forger and his trial.

Above all, my wife, Diane, and my daughter Carolyn both kept a falcon eye on my work and whenever possible prevented me from making literary lapses or irresponsible assertions.

Baur, Hans. Nazi air force general; Hitlers personal pilot

Below, Nicolaus von. Hitlers air force adjutant

Bernard, Marie. New York graphologist and handwriting expert

Bormann, Martin. Hitlers private secretary; successor to Rudolf Hess

Braun, Eva. Hitlers mistress

Broyles, William. Editor-in-chief of Newsweek

Chasles, Michel. Nineteenth-century French savant and professor; gulled by forger Vrain Lucas

Cosey, Joseph. American forger

Dacre, Lord. Title of Hugh Trevor-Roper

Daum, Reinhard. Heidemanns defense attorney

Fischer, Major General. Kujaus brother; actually a railroad porter in East Germany

Fischer, Konrad. Alias of Konrad Kujau

Fischer, Manfred. Managing director of Gruner & Jahr

Frei-Sulzer, Max. Swiss handwriting expert

Giles, Frank. Editor of the London Sunday Times

Gish, Frank. American expert on Hitlers paintings

Goebbels, Joseph. Nazi minister of propaganda

Goering, Hermann. Nazi air marshal

Groenewold, Kurt. Kujaus defense attorney

Gruner & Jahr. Parent company and owner of Stern magazine

Gundlfinger, Friedrich. Nazi air force pilot; killed in crash of plane that allegedly carried Hitlers diaries

Harris, Robert. BBC reporter; author of Selling Hitler

Heidemann, Gerd. Investigative reporter and agent for Stern; handled purchase of Hitler diaries

Heidemann, Gina. Wife of Gerd Heidemann

Hensmann, Jan. Deputy managing director of Gruner & Jahr

Herr Ohne Namen. Mr. Anonymous

Herr Ten Percent. Kujaus nickname for Jakob Tiefenthaeler

Hess, Rudolf. Secretary to Hitler; flew controversial mission to England

Hess, Wolf. Son of Rudolf Hess

HIAG. Mutual aid society for Nazi party survivors, principally SS men

Hilton, Ordway. American handwriting expert

Himmler, Heinrich. Nazi chief of SS and Gestapo

Hitler, Adolf. Nazi Fuehrer and dictator

Irving, Clifford. American forger; fabricated Howard Hughes autobiography

Irving, David. British historian; expert on Nazi era

Ireland, William Henry. Eighteenth-century English forger of Shakespeare

Jaeckel, Eberhard. Professor at Stuttgart University; expert on Hitler and his era

Klapper, Medard (or Medardus). Weapons dealer and confidence man; trained in SS; pretended to know Martin Bormann

Klein, Dietrich. Hamburg district attorney; prosecuted case against Kujau and Heidemann

Knightley, Philip. London Sunday Times reporter

Koch, Peter. Editor of Stern

Kujau, Konrad. Dealer in Nazi relics; forger of Hitler diaries, letters, speeches, sketches, and paintings