Martin Bormann

Born: June 17, 1900

Died: May 2, 1945 (?)

Bormann was head of the Nazi Party Chancellery and personal Secretary to Hitler, as such he had considerable power within the Third Reich (mainly by controlling access to Hitler).

Bormann was aware of and active in the extermination of the Jews.  There are several witnesses who heard (on more than one occasion) Bormann pass on orders issued from Hitler (re: final solution), as well as receiving reports from area leaders concerning their progress.

In one instance, an operator overheard a report from Himmler to Bormann in which Himmler gave a status update on the ‘extermination’ of the Jews.  Bormann reprimanded him for using the word ‘exterminate’ rather than the euphemism of ‘resettled’.

There was some dispute concerning whether or not Bormann was dead.  According to one account, Bormann fled the Berlin Bunker (after Goebbels’ suicide) and tried to escape Berlin.  However, he did not make it.  The witness (Artur Axmann) did not see Bormann die, but claimed to have seen his body.

The body was not found until late in 1972.  DNA testing in 1997 definitively proved that the corpse was indeed that of Martin Bormann.  Evidence indicated that Bormann committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide pill.

Wow…how many Nazis killed themselves?  Almost all of Hitler’s inner circle certainly did.  Brave men, these bully killers.