Hermann Göring – Wife, Death, Rank and Key Facts

Hermann Göring was one of the most powerful figures in Nazi Germany. As commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, Hitler’s designated successor, and a principal defendant at the Nuremberg Trials, his life and crimes remain a subject of intense historical scrutiny. This biography examines his family, his death, his personal characteristics, and his portrayal in popular culture, drawing on authoritative sources.

Who Were Hermann Göring’s Wife and Daughter?

Göring’s personal life included two marriages. His first wife, Carin von Kantzow, died in 1931. In 1935, he married Emmy Sonnemann, a former actress. They had one daughter, Edda Göring, born in 1938. Beyond his family, Göring was notorious for amassing a vast personal fortune, including artwork and property confiscated from Jewish victims.

Who Was Emmy Göring?

Emmy Sonnemann was a German actress who married Göring in a large, public ceremony. After the war, she was imprisoned and later released. She spent her later years writing her memoirs and died in 1973.

Who Was Edda Göring?

Edda Göring was the couple’s only child. She was born in 1938 and was named after an Italian fascist count. After the war, she lived a private life and worked as a lawyer. She has been interviewed about her father but maintains a low public profile.

How Did Hermann Göring Die?

Hermann Göring’s death was a dramatic final act. He was sentenced to death by hanging at the Nuremberg Trials. However, just hours before his scheduled execution on 16 October 1946, he committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule. He died on 15 October 1946 in Nuremberg.

The manner in which he obtained the poison remains a subject of some dispute. Some historians suggest a sympathetic American guard may have provided it, but the exact circumstances are not fully established. His suicide denied the Allied powers the opportunity to carry out the public execution.

What Were Hermann Göring’s Personal Characteristics?

Göring was a complex and contradictory figure. He was a decorated World War I fighter ace, awarded the Pour le Mérite, and was known for his outspoken, colorful, and aristocratic manner. He used his social connections to help legitimize the Nazi Party among conservative elites.

What Was Hermann Göring’s Rank?

Hitler promoted Göring to Reichsmarschall, a specially created rank senior to all other field marshals in the Wehrmacht. This made him the highest-ranking military officer in Nazi Germany.

What Was Hermann Göring’s Weight and IQ?

Commonly cited figures about Göring’s IQ—often claimed to be 138—are unverified and likely fabricated post-war. No reliable test result from his lifetime exists. Similarly, his weight fluctuated dramatically, especially later in life due to his drug addiction, but no verified medical records are publicly available to provide a precise figure.

Hermann Göring’s Drug Addiction

Göring became permanently addicted to morphine after being treated for wounds suffered during the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch. Later in life, as PBS notes, he “succumbed to his old morphine addiction.” This addiction contributed to his erratic behavior and significant weight gain during the war.

How Has Hermann Göring Been Portrayed in Popular Culture?

Göring’s flamboyance, his dramatic fall from power, and his infamous final act have made him a recurring figure in film and television. He has been portrayed by numerous actors. Claims linking actor Russell Crowe to the role of Göring appear to be a mistaken attribution; Crowe is well known for playing other historical figures but has not portrayed Göring in a major production.

Key Events in Hermann Göring’s Life

1. 1893 – Born in Rosenheim, Bavaria.
2. 1914–1918 – Served as a World War I fighter pilot; awarded the Pour le Mérite.
3. 1922 – Joined the Nazi Party; appointed commander of the SA.
4. 1933 – Became Minister President of Prussia; founded the Gestapo.
5. 1935 – Appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe.
6. 1941 – Issued directive to Heydrich to prepare the “Final Solution.”
7. 1945 – Surrendered to US forces.
8. 1946 – Tried and convicted at Nuremberg; committed suicide.

What Is Certain and What Remains Unclear About Göring?

Analysis and Historical Context

Göring’s power peaked in the late 1930s. His failure to win the Battle of Britain and his growing drug addiction led to a decline in influence after 1942. His role in the Holocaust was central: as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum states, he ordered Reinhard Heydrich to prepare a “general solution of the Jewish question.” At Nuremberg, he showed no remorse, defended Hitler, and openly admitted his role in Nazi war planning.

Notable Quotes and Primary Sources

“Guns will make us powerful; butter will only make us fat.” – Hermann Göring, 1936

“I have a clear conscience. I did my duty.” – Göring’s final statement at Nuremberg, 1946

“[Göring] was the most powerful man in Nazi Germany after Hitler… largely responsible for the police state and the concentration camp system.” – United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Summary: The Legacy of Hermann Göring

Hermann Göring remains a symbol of the Nazi regime’s ambition, brutality, and ultimate collapse. From his early fame as a World War I ace to his conviction as a war criminal and his final act of suicide, his story is a central part of 20th-century history. For a broader understanding of the period, reading about the Nuremberg Trials or the Luftwaffe History can provide important context.

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