Newly discovered correspondence uncovers how Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazis, personally rewarded one of his top World War Two associates with stolen gifts. The letters establish a historical connection between Hitler and his enforcer, Otto Telschow, over a span of four years.
Telschow received annual Christmas presents from 1941 to 1944, proudly sourced from foreign shipments and occupied territories during the height of the Nazi regime’s atrocities. These letters, found in a recently disclosed diary, shed light on Hitler’s direct involvement in the gifting process.
Despite the scarcity of coffee for ordinary citizens during that time, Hitler sent Telschow packages of goods as gestures of appreciation. The authenticity of the 75-page leather-bound diary, which surfaced at a U.S. auction and was later acquired by the Lüneburg City Archive, has been confirmed by experts.
The diary provides insights into their interactions and Telschow’s unwavering commitment to carrying out Hitler’s directives. Telschow, a dedicated National Socialist and Gauleiter of Ost-Hannover, enforced Nazi policies with vigor until his death in 1945, following a failed suicide attempt.
The significance of these findings lies in the documented reward system Hitler established, acknowledging regional enforcers like Telschow for their ruthless implementation of Nazi terror. Although Telschow wasn’t a well-known Nazi figure, his role as a powerful regional leader exemplifies how Hitler incentivized and supported extremism across various levels of the regime.