Heinrich Himmler's postcards to his mother

Heinrich Himmler (1900-1945) was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, he oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the feared Gestapo. Serving as Reichsführer and later as Commander of the Replacement (Home) Army and General Plenipotentiary for the entire Reich's administration (Generalbevollmächtigter für die Verwaltung), Himmler rose to become the second most powerful man in Nazi Germany as well as one of the persons most directly responsible for the Holocaust.

As overseer of the concentration camps, extermination camps, and Einsatzgruppen (literally: task forces, often used as killing squads), Himmler coordinated the killing of some 6 million Jews, between 200,000 and 500,000 Roma, many prisoners of war, and possibly another 3-4 million Poles, communists, or other groups whom the Nazis deemed unworthy to live or simply "in the way", including homosexuals, people with physical and mental disabilities, Jehovah's Witnesses and members of the Confessing Church.

Shortly before the end of World War II, he offered to surrender both Germany and himself to the Western Allies if he were spared prosecution. After being arrested by British forces on 22 May 1945, he committed suicide the following day before he could be questioned.

Yet, beneath the exterior, Himmler was 'a bit of a mummy's boy'. To his elderly mother Anna, Heinrich was a good boy, keeping in touch, remembering birthdays – and always made sure to drop her a line whenever he invaded a nice country, affectionately addressing his postcards to "Mutti" (German for Mummy). As nations across Europe toppled to Germany during the Second World War, Himmler’s mother Anna amassed a collection of cheerful postcards from the monster responsible for the murder of millions.

The following postcards are part of an archive of documents, photographs, signed books and paintings seized by an American serviceman from Himmler’s holiday home in southern Germany.

One was posted from Paris only three days after the Nazis took control of the French capital in June 1940.

The following postcard was sent by Himmler just after the Nazis had conquered France:

My dearest Mummy! Today I am sending you very warm greetings from Paris. I hope you are well. Your Heinrich.

Underneath is a message written by Karl Wolff, Himmler’s chief of personal staff, which adds: "With good wishes for your wellbeing. Heil Hitler."



The following is a postcard from Dombas, Norway, which Himmler sent to his mother in November 1941, telling her how he had visited Oslo and was about to travel to Trondheim, where anti-Semitic riots later broke out.



The following is a postcard sent from Rome where Himmler had attended the 1932 Exhibition of the Fascist Revolution. It starts with "Dear parents". In the same card, The Boss himself also passed on his regards to Mrs Himmler, signing it.



The following telegram was sent by Adolf Hitler himself in January 1941 to wish Mrs Himmler a happy birthday: "Would you please receive my best wishes on your 75th birthday. Adolf Hitler."



Another postcard from the Fuhrer



Himmler's first holy communion certificate, which he received in 1911 aged 11. He was raised a Roman Catholic.