Magda Goebbels is a controversial figure in world history. She was the wife of Joseph Goebbels, a German politician and devoted henchman of Adolf Hitler, actively supported the ideas of fascism and was an ally of the bloody dictator.
Biography
Magda (full name - Johanna Maria Magdalena) Berend was born in 1901. She was an illegitimate child born of an office romance. Her mother, Augusta Berend, had a connection with her own employer, the wealthy engineer Oscar Ritschel.
Remarkably, a little later, the lovers got married, but the marriage broke up anyway when Magda was three years old. Despite the divorce, the father loved his daughter and took care of her in every possible way. Mother did not remain alone for long and soon married the manufacturer Friedlander.
Remarkably, Magda's new stepfather was Jewish, which, in the light of future events, spoiled her biography a little.
The girl spent eight years in the Ursuline monastery, where she received an excellent Catholic upbringing and good manners. Since childhood, Magda has been an intelligent, developed and modest child, moreover, nature has not deprived her of her beauty.
The mother's second marriage also fell apart, but Magda retained not only a warm relationship, but also her stepfather's surname.
Personal life
Young Magda was a dazzling beauty with a sharp mind and aristocratic manners. It was not difficult for her to win the heart of one of the richest people in Germany.
Her first husband was Gunther Quandt, a widower and millionaire, a lover of the East. For the sake of a profitable party, Magda became a Protestant and changed her surname to Ritschel. The wedding took place in 1921, the young bride was only 20 years old, and the happy groom was 39.
The couple had a son, Harald. But the marriage did not work out, the feelings, as they flared up, also quickly cooled down, and Magda began to seek consolation on the side.
It was rumored that during a trip to America, Magda had an affair with the president's nephew. In 1928, the young wife of a millionaire became the mistress of Vitaly Arlozorov.
The young man was from a Jewish family that emigrated from Russia to Germany in 1905. Moreover, the object of Magda's passion was not an ordinary man, but one of the most active Zionists and a close friend of the future President of Israel, Chaim Weizmann. During their romance, Magda fully shared the political and religious views of her beloved, and if the relationship had a serious continuation, perhaps Zionism would have acquired a bright and strong figure in its ranks.
The millionaire got tired of enduring humiliation, and he made a public scandal for his wife. After the divorce, Magda received a fairly substantial amount of money, and her son also stayed with her.
Magda Goebbels
Accidentally hitting the Berlin Sports Palace for a meeting of the National Socialists, Magda meets the propagandist Joseph Goebbels. His speech so impressed the young woman that she, forgetting about her passion for Zionism, enrolled in the Nazi Party, where she was very kindly received.
Magda began to study Mein Kampf with great enthusiasm, was fired up by the ideas of Nazism and soon became acquainted with prominent party leaders.
The future minister of Hitler's government simply "lost his head" out of love for the blonde Magda.
The temperamental Arlozorov could not come to terms with the departure of his mistress to the ardent anti-Semite Goebbels and even tried to shoot Magda, but missed. In the future, Magda used this incident as an excuse to rank herself among the victims of Jewry.
In 1931, Magda Quand was introduced to Hitler and made a very pleasant impression on him.
In the winter of 1931, Magda married Joseph Goebbels. After the wedding, the stepfather broke off all relations with his stepdaughter, which did not affect her beliefs and unconditional admiration for the Fuhrer.
Hitler paid special attention to Frau Goebbels and very often visited them with his numerous retinue.
And after the official appointment of Goebbels as minister, Magda de facto became the "first lady" of Germany, being an example of what a real Aryan woman should be like. In the marriage, the spouses had six children, but their family life was far from cloudless. The couple experienced insane jealousy, betrayal on both sides and a forced reconciliation for the good of Germany.
The only thing that remained unshakable was some kind of inhuman admiration and admiration for Adolf Hitler. They followed their Fuhrer and his ideas everywhere. There were many rumors about Magda's love affair with Hitler, but it is not known for certain whether they were lovers and for how long.
The war sobered the spouses a little, the ongoing genocide frightened them and caused a feeling of an impending catastrophe. The news of battles, lawlessness and human suffering frightened Magda to horror, and the news that the eldest son Harald was taken prisoner plunged her into despair.
During the battle for Berlin, Magda, along with her husband, children, the Fuhrer and people close to him, ended up in a bunker. After the victory of the Soviet Army and the suicides of Hitler and Eva Braun, Magda, Goebbels and their children were injected with morphine and put cyanide capsules in their mouths. Whether Magda took part in the murder of children or whether the doctor did it is not known for certain. So sadly and ingloriously ended her life "the first lady of the Reich."
