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October 20, 2020; updated May 29, 2022.

Christa Schroeder

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Sketch allegedly made by Adolf Hitler, owned by Christa Schroeder in 1945,

Christa Schroeder (1908-1984) was a highly skilled secretary and stenographer. She worked as Adolf Hitler's personal secretary from 1933 until 1945. At first at his Berlin office, later on also at the Führerhauptquartiere. She accompanied him on almost all his travels.

On April 20, 1945 Hitler ordered both her and Johanna Wolf, his longest serving secretary, to leave the Führerbunker in Berlin for South-Germany.

They did so in the early morning of April 21. They went to the Berghof, Hitler's villa on the Obersalzberg, near Berchtesgaden. When the Nazi's evacuated the Berghof, she found refuge in a pension in Berchtesgaden, where she was arrested by the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) of the US Army on May 22, 1945.

She owned then a suitcase, with one or more 19th century oil paintings and a bundle of sketches. These sketches were, according to her during later interrogations in 1945, made by Hitler.

She stated then that Hitler had given these to her as presents. In her posthumous memoirs, published in 1985, she stated that she had saved these sketches from destruction when on April 26, 1945, Hitler's aide Julius Schaub arrived at the Berghof to destroy all Hitler's personal documents, as well as everything referring to Eva Braun's existence.

We believe the 1985 version is the truth. Had she told in 1945 that she had saved (=stolen) the sketches, these would probably have been confiscated, to be handed over to the state of Bavaria, which declared itself to be the heir of Adolf Hitler.

A number of these sketches were published in her 1949 memoirs, edited by Albert Zoller, the pseudonyme of the French captain Albert (?) Bernhard, who had interrogated Schroeder in 1945.

She also stated in her book that she gave four of her remaining sketches to an unnamed lawyer, circa 1964. Then she gave or sold one card with a sketchs on each side to David Irving, circa 1975. She wrote that she had sold the rest to dr. Henry Picker. The latter published seven of these sketches in the 1976 edition of Hitlers Tischgespräche im Führerhauptquartier (first edition 1963).

But were these drawings and sketches really made by Hitler? At least one not - the charicature of Dr. Morell, drawn by Heinrich Hoffmann (Zoller 8). The others might be made by Hitler or by one or more other people. The sketches of the tables (Zoller 4a and 4b) could be Hitler's, but they could also have been made by Gerdy Troost, his interior architect, or one of her employees.

The doodles (Zoller 6, 7 and 9) might be made Hitler, but it could also be that these were made by somebody in his inner circle.

In our opinion the architecture sketches are very likely made by Hitler, but on the other hand: they could also originate from one of his architects.

All we know is that they existed in 1945. As none of these is ever forensically researched, the true identity of the maker is therefore unknown.

That being said, the different versions told by Christa Schroeder (in 1945 and 1985) and those launched by the rather unreliable author David Irving warrant a closer look.

The original Schroeder "Hitler" sketches

1948 | 1976 | 1977 | Maser

In her posthumous published memoirs Schroeder stated that when she was arrested in May 1945, she owned about 100 "Hitler" sketches. A number of these were reproduced in the 1949 Zoller book. Curiously enough the Dutch translation of Zoller (1950) contains more reproductions than those in the original French edition. In the German edition (1949), published shortly after the French one, some other sketches were published than in the French one.

The sketches shown here, are those that are reproduced in the Dutch version.

Zoller 1a (NL); Zoller page 32b (F); Zoller 2 (D); Price 538.
Size (according to the unreliable Price): 7.25 x 12.5 cm.

Zoller 1b (NL); Zoller page 64b (F); Zoller 3 (D); Price 530.
Size (according to the unreliable Price): 7.25 x 12.5 cm.

Zoller 1c (NL); Zoller page 32a (F); Zoller 4 (D); Price 530.
Size (according to the unreliable Price): 7.25 x 12.5 cm.

Zoller 2a (NL); Zoller page 64e (F); Zoller 7 (D); Price 541.
Size unknown.

Zoller 2b (NL); Zoller page 64c (F); Zoller 6 (D); Price 540. Size unknown.

Zoller 3a (NL); Zoller page 64d (F); Zoller 5 (D); Price 539. Size unknown.

Zoller 3b (NL); Zoller page 64a (F); not in German edition, not in Price.
Size unknown.

Zoller 4a (NL); Zoller page 96b (F); Zoller 22 (D); Price 634. Size unknown.

Zoller 4b (NL); Zoller page 96c (F); Zoller 21 (D); Price 633. Size unknown.

Zoller 5b (NL); Zoller page 128b (F); Zoller 10 (D); Price 592 [provenance German collector]. Zoller 5a is a photo of Geli Raubal. Size unknown.

Zoller 6a (NL); Zoller page 128a (F); Zoller 14 (D); Price 616. Size unknown.

Zoller 6b (NL); not in French edition; Zoller 12 (D); Price 597. Size unknown.

Zoller 7 (NL); Zoller page 96a (F); Zoller 1 (D); Price 504 ["provenance Christa Schroeder"]. Size unknown.

Zoller 8 (NL); Zoller page 128c (F) - not attributed to Hitler; not in German edition; not in Price. This is definitely not a Hitler sketch; it is made and signed by Heinrich Hoffmann, depicted is Hitler's physician Theo Morell. Size unknown.

Zoller 9a (NL); not in French edition; Zoller 13 (D); Price 646. Size unknown.

1976 - | 1977 | Maser

In Hitlers Tischgespräche im Führerhaupt-quartier (1976, 3^rd revised edition; 1^st edition 1963) by dr. Henry Picker seven alleged Hitler sketches were depicted. Six of these were probably bought by Picker from Schroeder; one might originate from Gerdy Troost.

The accompanying texts by Picker might be concoctions; as on the cards with sketches no explanation was given.

Picker 1; "Porträt des Abtes seiner geliebten Klosterschule in Lambach"/ "Portait of the abbot of his beloved cloister school in Lambach". Not in Price. Size unknown.

Picker 2; "Entwurf für einen Dom in Linz"/ "Design of a cathedral in Linz". Not in Price. Size unknown.

Picker 3; "Hitlers Planung einer neuen Linzer Donau-Brücke
"/ "Hitler's plan for a new Donau bridge in Linz". Not in Price. Size unknown.

Picker 4; "Hitlers Planung einer neuen Linzer Donau-Brücke "/ "Hitler's plan for a new Donau bridge in Linz". Not in Price. "Hitlers Entwurf eines Planetariums für Linz"/ "Hitler's design of a planetarium for Kinz." Size unknown.It appears that this sketch was made on the reverse side of a card written for Gerdy Troost, depicted in Picker's book above this sketch. It doesn't have the blueish color as the sketches depicted in his book.

Picker 5; "