Background
Fegelein was born in Ansbach, Bavaria, to the retired Oberleutnant Hans Fegelein.
Fegelein was born in Ansbach, Bavaria, to the retired Oberleutnant Hans Fegelein.
As a boy working at his father's equestrian school in Munich, he became a proficient rider and participated in jumping events. During this period he met Christian Weber, an original member of the Nazi Party. Weber later sponsored Fegelein's entry into the Schutzstaffel (SS).
Fegelein led SS cavalry units in Poland and Russia, rising to the rank of SS Brigadefuehrer and winning the RK on 2 Mar 1942 and the Oakleaves (157/890) on 22 Dec 1942. Fegelein became Himmler’s LnO to OKW in the fall of 1943 and married Eva Braun's sister Gretl (Margarete) on 3 June 1944. A few days after being slightly injured in Stauffenberg’s 20 July 1944 bomb attempt, Fegelein took command of the 8th SS “Florian Geyer” Cav Div in Russia. Promoted to Gencralmajor der Waffen-SS and awarded the Swords (83/159) for action on 30 July 1944 (ibid.), he quickly relumed to duty as Hitler’s SS adjutant and rose to the rank of Obergruppenfuehrer.
On 27 Apr 1945, as the Russians pushed toward the Fuehrerbunker an SS search party arrested Fegelein in the Berlin apartment of “Mata O’Hara,” an Irish-born British spy whose true identity has never been learned. Fegelein was in civilian clothes and apparently preparing to flee the country with the lady. She outwitted her bumbling captors and escaped through a kitchen window, whereas her cavalier was led through the fiery streets to the bunker. Hitler stripped the SS adjutant of his rank and military honors, but did not immediately suspect him of any treachery. About 9 PM on the 28th Hitler learned from a BBC report that Himmler was trying to make a surrender deal through Count Bernadotte. Outraged that his “loyal Himmler” was a traitor, Hitler suspected that Fegelein had been preparing to leave Germany to negotiate for his chief with the western allies. Brought from the guard house and questioned further, Fegelein admitted some knowledge of the secret negotiations but denied he had intended to desert. No longer believing his future brother-in-law, whom Eva Braun no longer defended on behalf of her pregnant sister. Hitler ordered an immediate summary court-martial. A few hours later, shortly after midnight on 28-29 Aug 1945, a firing squad from Hitler’s SS escort troops of the Leib-standarte Adolf Hiller executed Fegelein in the Chancellery courtyard.
Fegelein joined the Nazi Party (membership number 1,200,158) and the SA in 1930. He transferred to the SS on 10 April 1933, with membership number 66,680.
Fegelein's politically motivated marriage to Gretl Braun, Eva Braun's sister, took place on 3 June 1944 in Salzburg. Historians Kershaw and Shirer believe he courted Braun as a way to advance his career. Hitler, Himmler, and Martin Bormann acted as witnesses at the ceremony. A two-day celebration was then held at Hitler's and Bormann's Obersalzberg mountain homes and the Eagle's Nest. Fegelein was a known playboy and had many extramarital affairs. Hitler's secretaries, Christa Schroeder and Traudl Junge, state Fegelein was popular socially, particularly with women. He could be funny, amusing, and charming. Eva was glad to have someone in the entourage with whom she could dance and flirt, as Hitler was distant in social situations and refrained from publicly showing affection. Fegelein worked hard to develop a friendship with Hitler's powerful private secretary, Martin Bormann. Fegelein consistently attended Bormann's drinking parties and told Junge that the only things that mattered were "his career and a life full of fun."
