When the Third Reich collapsed in 1945, the world turned its eyes not only to the men who orchestrated Nazi atrocities, but also to the women who stood beside them. The wives of Nazi leaders—once living in luxury under Hitler’s regime—faced a radically different future in a defeated Germany. But were they innocent bystanders swept up in a male-dominated regime? Or were they willing collaborators in one of history’s darkest chapters?
Magda Goebbels: The Ultimate Devotion
Magda Goebbels, wife of Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, remains one of the most infamous Nazi wives. She was more than just a supportive spouse—she was a devoted Nazi and a personal friend of Adolf Hitler. As the Red Army closed in on Berlin, she followed her husband into Hitler’s bunker.
On May 1, 1945, Magda and Joseph murdered their six children with poison before committing suicide. She left behind letters describing a future without National Socialism as not worth living. Magda’s actions revealed a chilling level of ideological commitment. Not a victim—an accomplice to the end.
Margarete Himmler: The Proud Wife
Margarete, wife of Heinrich Himmler—the architect of the Holocaust—was also deeply committed to Nazi ideals. She ran a Red Cross hospital during the war and wrote letters filled with anti-Semitic and racist language, showing she fully embraced her husband’s worldview.
After the war, she was detained by Allied forces but was never convicted of any crimes. In her de-Nazification hearing, she tried to downplay her involvement. Still, her writings and actions during the war suggest she was no passive observer. She lived out her postwar years in relative obscurity, never publicly showing remorse.
Emmy Göring: The First Lady of the Reich
Married to Hermann Göring, head of the Luftwaffe, Emmy Göring enjoyed a lavish lifestyle at the height of Nazi power. She was dubbed the “First Lady of the Third Reich” before Eva Braun rose in prominence. After the war, she was arrested and convicted as a Nazi sympathizer, spending a year in prison and having her assets seized.
Though she claimed ignorance, she had benefited directly from stolen Jewish property and forced labor. She never truly accepted the depth of Nazi crimes and remained defiant about her status after the war.