Heinz Linge (23 March 1913 – 9 March 1980) was a German SS officer who served as a valet for the leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, and became known for his close personal proximity to historical events.
1933
He was employed as a bricklayer prior to joining the SS in 1933.
He served in the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH), Hitler's bodyguard.
1934
In 1934, when he was part of No. 1 Guard to Hitler's residence on the Obersalzberg near Berchtesgaden, Linge was selected to serve at the Reich Chancellery.
By the end of the war, he had obtained the rank of SS-Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel).
1935
On 24 January 1935, Linge was chosen to be a valet for Hitler.
He was one of three valets at that time.
1939
In September 1939, Linge replaced Karl Wilhelm Krause as chief valet for Hitler.
Linge worked as a valet in the Reich Chancellery in Berlin, at Hitler's residence near Berchtesgaden, and at Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg.
He stated that his daily routine was to wake Hitler each day at 11:00 AM and provide morning newspapers and messages.
Linge would then keep him stocked with writing materials and spectacles for his morning reading session in bed.
Hitler would then dress himself to a stopwatch with Linge acting as a "referee".
He would take a light breakfast of tea, biscuits and an apple and a vegetarian lunch at 2:30 PM.
Dinner with only a few guests present was at 8.00pm.
As Hitler's valet, Linge was also a member of the Führerbegleitkommando which provided personal security protection for Hitler.
1944
By 1944, he was also head of Hitler's personal service staff.
Besides accompanying Hitler on all his travels, he was responsible for the accommodations; all the servants, mess orderlies, cooks, caterers and maids were "subordinate" to Linge.
1945
Linge was present in the Führerbunker on 30 April 1945, when Hitler committed suicide.
Linge's ten-year service to Hitler ended at that time.
In the aftermath of the Second World War in Europe, Linge spent ten years in Soviet captivity.
Linge was one of many soldiers, servants, secretaries, and officers who moved into the Reich Chancellery and Führerbunker in Berlin in 1945.
There he continued as Hitler's chief valet and protocol officer and was one of those who closely witnessed the last days of Hitler's life during the Battle of Berlin.
He was also Hitler's personal military orderly.
Linge delivered messages to Hitler and escorted people in to meet with Hitler.
In addition, after Hitler's personal physician Theodor Morell left Berlin on 23 April, Linge and Dr. Werner Haase administered to Hitler the prepared medicine which had been left behind.
Two days before committing suicide on 30 April with Eva Braun, Hitler confided his suicide plan to Linge.
He asked Linge to have their bodies wrapped in blankets and taken up to the garden to be cremated.
Following his marriage to Eva Braun, Hitler spent the last night of his life lying awake and fully clothed on his bed.
On 30 April, Hitler had a last midday meal with his secretaries.
After the meal, Linge spoke briefly with Eva Braun.
He described her as looking pale and of having had little sleep.
She thanked him for his service.
Hitler then said farewell to each of his servants and subordinates.
Thereafter, Hitler retired to his study at 3:15 p.m. There, Linge privately asked Hitler his orders.
Hitler said that he was going to shoot himself and Linge knew what he had to do.
"You must never allow my corpse to fall into the hands of the Russians", Hitler told Linge, "they would make a spectacle in Moscow out of my body and put it in waxworks".
Further, he had given the order to break-out; Linge was to join one of the groups and try to get to the west.
2009
According to his memoir, titled With Hitler to the End and published by Skyhorse in 2009, "Linge was responsible for all aspects of Hitler’s household".
Despite the circumstances of the war, Linge's portrayal of the Führer has been described as "affectionate", although Hitler as a supervisor acted in a manner "unpredictable and demanding".
