Geheimnisse des "Dritten Reichs" - Season 1

Hitler did all he could to keep his colourful family background a secret. The public was not to know about his ancestry or his immediate family. And there was much to hide: mental illness, bigamy, dissent, his niece's suicide … any of this information would have tarnished the immaculate public image that had been created by elaborate propaganda. Now, personal records by relatives and the extensive written memoirs of his half-brother Alois' second wife allow new, surprising and shocking insights into Hitler's family background.

The self-propagated myth of the ascetic, selfless ‘Führer', ready to make sacrifices in the service of his people and prepared to waiver the substantial salary due to his Reich Chancellor position is as persistent as it is false. Today we can prove how Hitler thought nothing of dipping into public funds and was given access to vast sums of money for his personal use. Far from the image of the frugal leader, Hitler profited from his position and became a very wealthy man. We can now show how Hitler's regime quickly turned into a complex system of corruption and personal enrichment.

Heinrich Himmler: SS national leader, chief of police, minister of the interior, and commander-in-chief – Hitler's most powerful disciple remains an enigma even today. Why did Himmler secretly order an extensive research project about witches? Why was he interested in the occult? What role did his mysterious lover play, who he led a double-life with for years? And was Himmler rather than Hitler responsible for the order for the mass murder of Jews? This film examines the SS-leader in a new light and delivers new insights into Himmler's complex persona.

Hitler's favourite general and faithful follower … and a man who eventually supported his leader's assassination. Just like many other leading officers, he initially tolerated the increasing terror activities of the Nazi regime and preferred to look the other way. When it came to conflicting considerations in the tense relationship between obedience and conscience, repression and protest, Rommel would refer to his position in the military, using it like a shield. But unlike most others, Rommel refused to carry out extreme orders and began to realise that Hitler had to be removed.

Hitler's private life was amongst the Third Reich's best-kept secrets. The public only found out about his wife posthumously. But Eva Braun was far from the only woman in Hitler's life. There were previous lovers, influential admirers, wealthy sponsors and of course close relatives like his sister and her daughter Angela. Somehow, Hitler had a hold over all of them. But what motivated these women to follow Hitler? This film documents the newest insights and attempts to separate myth from reality through statements from historians, psychologists and witnesses.

Albert Speer – Hitler's architect, master builder and armaments minister. He provided the monumental backdrop for the Nazi ideology in stone and concrete. Speer rose quickly to become Hitler's master-builder, confidante, and the man in charge of Germany's extensive armaments industry. Hitler was enthralled by his protégé's work. Yet despite his extensive involvement in the Nazi regime, Speer somehow managed to retain his reputation as ‘the good Nazi'. In this film, the architect's carefully cultivated image of the innocent bystander is revealed for what it is: a construct of lies and deceit.