Following the Second World War, a number of war crimes trials took place to bring those
evil members of the SS or the Nazi heirarchy to justice.
There were a number of people who were missing in the courtrooms, including Hitler himself
who decided to never set foot inside a courtroom, and he would perish inside his bunker in Berlin
by his own hands.
But the second most powerful Nazi inside of the Third Reich was Heinrich Himmler who was
the head of the SS that would command the guards and staff inside the concentration
camp.
It was said that many SS members were more loyal to Himmler than Hitler which made him
a dangerous foe and friend for the Fuhrer of Germany.
But Himmler would be one of those who would never be brought to justice.
He was held in British captivity, but he also would have his own say on his demise.
However what is rather mysterious about Himmler is what happened to him after his death, and
the location of his remains.
He was buried and then reinterred, and what happened to his body is not entirely known.
Join us today as we look at the missing body of Heinrich Himmler, remember to support our
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On the 23rd May 1945, Heinrich Himmler died inside of British custody.
He had been on the run as he found himself with very few friends and allies as the Second
World War came to an end.
Hitler had ordered his arrest, and few in the new government following Hitler’s death
wanted anything to do with him.
Also the Allies were hunting him, and he and a few companions decided to try and hide out.
They would travel across country avoiding towns and cities that were under allied control,
but near to Bremervorde he was apprehended.
Himmler gave a false name, and claimed he was Heinrich Hitzinger, but whilst inside
of an internment camp he was recognised and despite wearing a disguise, he would meet
with the commandant and hand himself in, giving over his true identity.
The British could not believe they had Heinrich Himmler in their possession, and they found
two brass capsules, one contained cyanide, and the other was empty.
Searches were ordered and he was then moved to the headquarters of the Second British
Army in Luneberg for a more thorough search.
But whilst here, Himmler would bite down on the missing cyanide capsule which was inside
his mouth and within 15 minutes he was dead.
But in the moments after his death, there was a great amount of frustration regarding
Himmler, especially as the British had the most horrific war criminal inside of the Nazi
hierarchy within their grasps but he evaded justice.
Himmler had an intricate knowledge of the SS, the concentration camps and Hitler’s
government, and if brought to trial he would have been executed, but his information could
have informed the allies better about the inner workings of the Nazi Party.
Shortly after his death, two death masks were made of his face, one was sent to Dwight Eisenhower
the Supreme Allied Commander, and the other was kept hidden after the doctor who did it
made a duplicate.
His death mask show him almost smirking, and it’s strange looking at it, staring into
the face of the man who committed such evil during World War 2.
However there has been speculation about what happened to Himmler’s body after his death,
and this includes the question about what happened to his brain.
It’s alleged his brain was removed by a doctor and was sent away to assess the mind
of a man considered completely awful.
His body was also autopsied, and it was said that ‘the body was that of an adult male,
well nourished and physique up to average standard.
Head average size, symmetrical, very few grey hairs were apparent.
The hair had recently been cut, Slightly protruding glasses, the hip of the nose is slightly flattened
and deviated towards the right.
The cheeks are not full, mouth not large and no unusual features are apparent.’
But following this, the order was given to the British Army personnel to carry out the
burial.
Today it’s considered that the burial place of Heinrich Himmler that is lost to time,
and there are a number of theories as to what happened to his remains, and whether he is
still buried in this unmarked location.
All of those who buried Himmler today are now deceased, but before they died, two NCO’s
who were present would take the editor of a magazine to the spot where they buried Himmler.
This was kept completely secret due to the worry about the site being a place of pilgrimage
for nazis today to visit.
Today also the British files that document the burial site of Himmler are closed for
public access and cannot be viewed for another 23 years.
It’s believed that Himmler was buried at Luneberg Heath, a short distance from the
site where died inside British captivity.
His remains would have been taken on the short journey into a nearby forest, where the grave
was then dug and his body was lowered into the ground.
The ground would have been covered up, and returned to as close a natural state as possible
to not give any indication that a burial occurred.
There was no headstone or marker, and Luneberg heath where he was allegedly buried is a large
area of woodland in Lower Saxony.
It is a very big site, which would make locating the grave of Himmler very tricky, but there
was a theory that alleged that the former head of the SS was exhumed a few months after
his burial.
It’s also considered possible that the British then dug him up, and another post mortem examination
took place due to the Allies having some element of doubt as to whether it was actually Himmler
who died taking the cyanide.
The results of this additional post mortem are still classified and cannot be accessed.
However there are some that believe that Himmler’s body was taken from the post mortem, to a
concentration camp nearby.
So Himmler the Head of the group of paramilitary officers who ran the concentration camps in
death may have been taken into a concentration camp, where some believe that his remains
were burned inside a crematoria there.
It would have been poetic justice for his corpse to have been incinerated in a camp
where his soldiers and officers worked and inflicted great evil and suffering onto thousands
of inmates.
But the problem with Himmler’s death is that there are so many questions that remain
unanswered.
Due to the classified files which are still yet to be released by the British government,
it may be decades until we know exactly what happened in the final moments of his life.
The grave of Himmler also remains a mystery, as it is possible that after his exhumation,
his remains were taken elsewhere.
It is also possible that they were quietly returned to the site of Luneberg heath where
they had been concealed for a number of months.
The questions surrounding his death are endless, and there are some questions we may never
have answered.
But still today, the remains of Heinrich Himmler could be lying under the ground inside of
Germany, lost under decades of woodland and foliage.
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