Adolf's Hitler's megalomania may only have been matched by his paranoia. The Nazi leader was constantly on the lookout for anyone or anything that could destroy his power or his life. This was probably why he was able to survive several assassination attempts.
Another aspect of the level of the Fuhrer's paranoia that has just come to light is the meticulous care that was taken to ensure that his meals were not poisoned during World War 2.
Hitler literally had a troop of people, (all girls because obviously the men were supposed to be busy killing Germany’s enemies) who tasted his every meal to ensure it had not been poisoned by his enemies, both home and abroad. Not one, not two, not five, not even ten but fifteen of them.
If they did not fall ill or suffer any negative side effects after consuming the food (slow poisoning was obviously not taken into consideration) the food would be packaged and taken to Hitler in his “Wolf’s Lair”, Hitler’s base in Poland.
This tale of extreme paranoia may have been forever lost, but fortunately the last surviving taster, Margot Woelk, now 95 years old decided to share her story only this year. She had kept her secret from everyone who knew her, including her husband who died 23 years ago.
Then in her mid twenties, Margot Woelk spent two and a half years along with 14 other women to ensure Hitler’s meals were not poisoned. "He was a vegetarian” She said. “He never ate any meat during the entire time I was there".
Tasting the Fuhrer’s food had its perks “The food was delicious, only the best vegetables, asparagus, bell peppers, everything you can imagine. And always with a side of rice or pasta," she recalled. The obvious risk involved in each meal been the last meal however greatly reduced the pleasure Woelk and the other girls got from the meals. “But this constant fear — we knew of all those poisoning rumors and could never enjoy the food. Every day we feared it was going to be our last meal."
When Hitler killed himself in April 1945, Woelk fled to Berlin with the help of a sympathetic soldier and she found a city facing gradual but certain destruction. Round-the-clock bombing by U.S. and British planes was grinding the city to rubble and Russian soldiers were progressing into the capital. Germany eventually surrendered on May 8, eight days after Hitler had committed suicide.
Then came the post war horrors perpetuated by the victorious Russians on the vanquished Germans. "The Russians then came to Berlin and got me, too," Woelk said. "They took me to a doctor's apartment and raped me for 14 consecutive days. That's why I could never have children. They destroyed everything."
After the war, she worked in a variety of jobs, mostly as a secretary or administrative assistant. "For decades, I tried to shake off those memories," she said. "But they always came back to haunt me at night."
If you are wondering what happened to the 14 other girls, they were not as lucky as Woelk. According to Woelk, they all decided to stay back in Poland and were all shot by the invading Soviet troops.
Sources
1. I was Hitler's food taster
2. Margot Woelk, Hitler's only surviving food taster, shares her story after years of secrecy
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