The children of the Nazi elite were raised in a world of privilege, propaganda, and adoration. Their fathers were the architects of the Third Reich, and their families were held up as models of the Aryan ideal. But the collapse of the Reich in 1945 shattered their lives, leaving them to face the legacy of their parents’ crimes.
Some of these children met tragic and violent ends. Others lived long lives, often struggling with the weight of their family names. A few even defended their fathers to their dying days.
Here is what happened to the children of the top Nazis after World War II.
The Goebbels Children
Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda chief, and his wife Magda had six children: Helga, Hildegard, Helmut, Hedvig, and Holdine. All of their names began with the letter H, a tribute to Hitler. The children were born between 1932 and 1940 and were frequently used in propaganda films to represent the ideal German family.
Hitler was fond of the children, particularly the eldest daughter, Helga, who would often sit on his lap. Despite the public image, the Goebbels marriage was troubled. Magda wanted a divorce, but Hitler refused to allow it, forcing the couple to stay together.
In the final days of the war, the family moved into the Führerbunker beneath Berlin. After Hitler’s death, Magda and Joseph decided their children could not live in a world without National Socialism. They believed the children would suffer if they fell into Soviet hands.
An SS dentist, Helmut Kunz, injected the six children with morphine. Once they were unconscious, cyanide capsules were crushed into their mouths. Magda administered the poison herself. Soviet troops later discovered the children’s bodies. One of the daughters reportedly had bruising on her arms, suggesting she may have struggled.
The children’s remains were buried in Magdeburg for many years. In 1970, they were exhumed, cremated, and the ashes scattered in the Elbe River.
The Bormann Children
Martin Bormann, Hitler’s private secretary, was one of the most powerful men in the Reich. He and his wife, Gerda, had ten children, though Bormann is believed to have fathered many more illegitimate children. He was even encouraged by his wife to have affairs to produce more children for the Reich.
After the war, Gerda Bormann fled to Italy with the children. She was captured and interrogated by Allied intelligence about her husband’s whereabouts. She died of abdominal cancer in March 1946.
The eldest son, Martin Bormann Jr., later became a Catholic priest. He died in 2013 after facing accusations during his time in the clergy. Some of the younger Bormann children are believed to still be alive today.
Gudrun Himmler
Gudrun Himmler was the only legitimate child of Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS. Born in 1929, she was adored by her father, who nicknamed her “Puppy.” He wrote to her weekly and even took her to visit the Dachau concentration camp, where over 30,000 people died.
After the war, Gudrun and her mother were arrested in Italy and held in several camps. They testified at the Nuremberg trials and were released in November 1946. Gudrun never condemned her father’s actions. Instead, she spent much of her life defending him.
She married a far-right propagandist and became involved with Stille Hilfe, an organization that helped former SS members evade justice. She supported war criminals such as Klaus Barbie and provided financial assistance to an SS officer convicted of beating prisoners to death. Gudrun Himmler died in Munich in May 2018 at the age of 88, still defending her father’s legacy.
Edda Göring
Edda Göring was the daughter of Hermann Göring, the head of the Luftwaffe and one of the most powerful men in the Reich. She was often called the “crown princess” of Nazi Germany. Her birth was celebrated with hundreds of thousands of congratulatory messages.
She grew up in immense wealth, surrounded by art and palaces. Her father was one of history’s greatest art thieves, looting treasures across Europe. After the war, Edda and her mother were imprisoned in Luxembourg. Hermann Göring was sentenced to death at Nuremberg but escaped the hangman’s noose by taking cyanide hours before his execution.
Edda later said she loved her father deeply and could not see him any other way. She managed to keep some works of art and expensive jewelry, proving they had been gifted to her. Edda Göring died in December 2018 at the age of 80. She is buried in an unmarked grave in Munich.
The Heydrich Children
Reinhard Heydrich, known as the “Butcher of Prague,” was one of the most brutal figures in the Nazi regime. Hitler called him a man with an iron heart. Heydrich and his wife Lina had two sons, Claus and Heider, and a daughter, Silke.
Heydrich was assassinated in 1942. His oldest son, Claus, was killed in a traffic accident in 1943. The other children are believed to have survived the war. In 2011, Heider Heydrich was interviewed and said he agreed it was a good thing his father had been assassinated.
The Hess Family
Rudolf Hess, the deputy führer, made a bizarre flight to Scotland in 1941, believing he could broker peace with Britain. He was imprisoned for the rest of his life. He and his wife Ilse had one son, Wolf, who was named after Hitler’s nickname.
After the war, Wolf Hess claimed the British had murdered his father in Spandau Prison to prevent his release. He wrote three books about his father. Wolf Hess died of a stroke at the age of 63.
The children of the top Nazis faced very different fates. Some were killed by their own parents. Some lived in obscurity. Others continued to defend the men who had caused so much suffering. Their stories remain a haunting reminder of the human cost of the Third Reich.