When the leader of the German National Socialists, Adolf Hitler, took over as Reich Chancellor in 1933, his voters were convinced of the correct choice. It seemed to them that the former soldier, who did not have a penny in his heart, would be able to revive the power of Germany. And they were partly right. But Hitler's financial affairs were already going excellently. And the following years increased his fortune to astronomical proportions.
“In my youth, hunger was my constant companion, and while studying in Vienna, I had to learn poverty and a life without a roof over my head,” Adolf Hitler wrote in his memoirs. The Germans had no doubts about the sincerity of these words. The father of the future Fuhrer died when he was 13, and his mother died five years later.
From the trenches to politics
The Austrian state did not allow Adolf and his sister to die of hunger, which accrued them a pension for the loss of breadwinners. And relatives helped the orphans. Thus, the Austrian historian Anna Sigmund found that her aunt sent 1,584 crowns to Adolf every month (approximately 1,800 modern euros). In Vienna, the capital of Austria-Hungary, he came to enter the art academy, but failed both times. And he did not want to return home.
By the way, Hitler was not a bum: he was actively drawing miniatures, advertising posters, copies of famous paintings. The self-taught artist's "masterpieces" were sold so well that he gave up the orphan's pension in favor of his sister. And then Adolf received the lion's share of the inheritance of his deceased aunt.
The First World War, which broke out in 1914, was greeted by Adolf with enthusiasm. He enrolled in the 16th Bavarian Regiment and fought heroically at the front. Confirmation of this - injuries and Iron Crosses of both degrees. The more the shock was when in the hospital corporal Hitler learned about the surrender of Germany. Almost immediately, he expressed the idea that defeat was the work of traitors who stabbed the German army with a "knife in the back."
With the thought of revenge, in September 1919, Hitler joined the ranks of the German Workers' Party, which was later renamed the National Socialist (NSDAP). This alliance brought him not only the title of Fuhrer, but also a huge fortune. Although at the time of his entry, the party was so poor that it even held its meetings in a pub, whose owner let them in for the sake of revenue.
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Hitler's speeches began to attract a lot of visitors to the institution. And Adolf asked for payment for his performances - 200-250 marks, depending on the duration. The party also paid him lavishly for articles in the Volkischer Beobachter newspaper and a salary as an official. In 1921, Hitler already toured Germany in a luxury car of the Selve brand. The trips were motivated by the propaganda of the NSDAP ideas and the attraction of new members. Making several speeches a day, Hitler earned an income comparable to running a large bank.
One thing darkened the existence of the National Socialist - the claims of the tax authorities. In 1921, the Second Financial Administration of Munich required Hitler to provide a tax return with genuine income. But the future Fuhrer did not want to pay, and when asked: "Where does the luxury car come from?" answered sincerely: "This is a tool for work, and it belongs not to me, but to the party." The tax authorities had to lag behind the suspect for a while.
A comfortable life
In November 1923, Hitler and his supporters staged riots in Munich, which went down in history as the Beer Putsch. For this, the Nazi leader was sentenced to five years, but served only nine months. It was in prison that the Fuhrer wrote the legendary work Mein Kampf.
Unlike Marx, whose "Capital" did not bring him a penny, Hitler hoped to make money from the book. And it worked! Although at first it did not sell well. But the tax authorities put its author in the category of writers. Mein Kampf itself began to appear in gigantic editions only after 1933. After all, every member of the NSDAP was supposed to have this book, and later it became an obligatory gift for German newlyweds. It is not surprising that the Fuhrer earned 8 million Reichsmarks from Mein Kampf, which is comparable to 60 million modern US dollars.
In 1925, after being released from prison, Hitler bought a new Mercedes with special equipment for 26 thousand Reichsmarks. Then the tax office again sent him a request: "Herr Hitler, please indicate the source of funds for buying a car." The Fuhrer's answer was laconic: “I took out a bank loan. The machine is my instrument of labor. The rest of my property is a desk and two simple shelves with books. " But the tax authorities did not believe him and filed a lawsuit.
However, Adolf regularly paid the church tax and the tax on the Blondie shepherd dog, but he ignored the income tax and was sued for 8 long years. By 1933, the amount of his debt to the state was 400 thousand Reichsmarks (modern US $ 10.5 million). Only in 1934 the new head of the Finance Department personally changed his status in the Hitler case from "writer" to "Reich Chancellor". And the Fuhrer himself became the only citizen of the Third Reich, exempt from taxes.
However, Adolf pretended to be a church mouse only in front of the tax authorities. In the 1920s, he was often seen in a tuxedo and top hat in aristocratic salons, where he made useful contacts. Much later, having received power, Hitler presented himself as an ascetic and forbade the publication of photographs of that period. Although in the archives documents were found about his rent in 1929 of a huge apartment of 320 square meters in a prestigious area of Munich. The annual payment for such apartments was 4200 marks, while the German professor received 4800 marks.
Hitler's activities at that time involved constant travels around the country. But the politician did not want to limit himself in comfort. Documents show that from 1930 to 1933, while living in hotels, Hitler invariably chose the luxury class. Including in the fashionable Rheinhotel Dreesen in the suburbs of Bonn. In addition, there are numerous accounts of Hitler's rent of expensive cars, car accessories, garages and apartments. The Fuhrer did not offend himself with expensive clothes. In 1932, he ordered several suits and two white vests. The cost of one such vest was equal to the modern 3 thousand euros. So the image of "a man of the people", later attributed to the Fuhrer, to put it mildly, did not correspond to reality.
New opportunities
Very different opportunities opened up for Hitler after the seizure of power in Germany. His personal fortune began to grow by leaps and bounds. In addition to the salary of 44 thousand marks, which was 200 (!) Times the average salary of a worker, the Fuhrer had a lot of other bonuses. For example, the royalties from the publication of his autobiography exceeded 1 million Reichsmarks, and the "hope of the nation" received royalties from each sold stamp or photograph with his image.
But the really rich man of the Fuhrer was made by "voluntary" donations from citizens and companies. While still an opposition politician, Hitler began to collect funds for "the needs of the party." Later, when the NSDAP became the only party in Germany, a special fund "Donations of the German economy to Adolf Hitler" was established by order of the Fuehrer. Only Hitler himself and his personal secretary Martin Bormann could use his funds.
Despite the efforts of the intelligence agencies, they failed to establish the exact amount of the capital of this fund. But according to the most conservative estimates, it was at least 700 million Reichsmarks ($ 3 billion), which by 1944 made Hitler the richest man on the planet!
They gave the Fuhrer not only money, but also objects of art. By the end of the war, there were about 8 thousand paintings in his collection.
Unfortunately, after his death, most of the inheritance has sunk into obscurity. It was possible to find only an amount equivalent to $ 330 million, which lay in an account in a Swiss bank. Even less went to Hitler's sister Paula. In his 1938 will, the Fuehrer wrote: "Everything I own belongs to the Nazi party … I ask you to provide a modest, simple life for my sister, other relatives and faithful associates." However, it was not until 1960 that a Munich court awarded Paula two-thirds of the land under the former Eagle's Nest castle in the Bavarian Alps, and one third to other relatives of Hitler. When Paula herself died, no other heirs were found. The money that was found in Switzerland, already in the XXI century, the court decided to withdraw in favor of the state. But where the rest of Hitler's billions were, it was not possible to find out.
Alexey MARTOV