WI: Eva Braun lives?

[kyc0705]

Imagine that later today, as the news cycle prepares to wind down, a story breaks from Argentina. In an outer ring suburb of Buenos Aires, a nursing home has uncovered a shocking revelation. A clerk, on a whim, is reviewing the records of the home's oldest current resident, a 104 year old German immigrant. After finding some slight irregularities, the clerk chases down a seven-decade old paper trail. It turns out that this centenarian's name and identity have been heavily forged, and were since this woman's emigration to Argentina in the late 1940s. Through months of careful research, and perhaps extralegal searching, the clerk discovers that the resident's birth name is Eva Anna Paula Braun.

This is, it turns out, that Eva Braun. She did not die with Adolf Hitler in April 1945. She is relegated to a wheelchair, and her physical and mental capacities are somewhat decreased, but she is very much alive.

If this (vaguely ASB) event occurred, how would the world react? What would happen?

 

[Napoleonrules]

Imagine that later today, as the news cycle prepares to wind down, a story breaks from Argentina. In an outer ring suburb of Buenos Aires, a nursing home has uncovered a shocking revelation. A clerk, on a whim, is reviewing the records of the home's oldest current resident, a 104 year old German immigrant. After finding some slight irregularities, the clerk chases down a seven-decade old paper trail. It turns out that this centenarian's name and identity have been heavily forged, and were since this woman's emigration to Argentina in the late 1940s. Through months of careful research, and perhaps extralegal searching, the clerk discovers that the resident's birth name is Eva Anna Paula Braun.

This is, it turns out, that Eva Braun. She did not die with Adolf Hitler in April 1945. She is relegated to a wheelchair, and her physical and mental capacities are somewhat decreased, but she is very much alive.

If this (vaguely ASB) event occurred, how would the world react? What would happen?

Conspiracy theories that Hitler also did not die. Both the Mosad and Putin launch separate investigations, and Im sure other countries would as well. Nothing personally would happen to the woman though, she's too old. Im sure many, including Mosad, will be talking to her though regarding what she knows and what she did know. Im sure immunity would be granted for her cooperation. However just given her age you cant exactly threaten her, even though who is she.

 

[Queeney]

If this (vaguely ASB) event occurred, how would the world react? What would happen?

She would instantly become the most discussed news topic around the world.

Perhaps many people would also wonder whether or not Braun had offspring by Hitler. If that was the case, they would likely have to be placed under police protection.

 

[Emperor Julian]

No one cares about her; the topic will be "If she faked her death and escaped, could Hitler have done the same?"

 

[Galba Otho Vitelius]

She also would be Eva Braun, since there is no plausible way for her to both marry Hitler and to survive World War 2.

Or at least no plausible way that doesn't involve Hitler also escaping.

 

[Resurgam]

However just given her age you cant exactly threaten her, even though who is she.

Why? Eva Braun had absolutely nothing to do with what happened in Germany. It'd be like someone attacking Churchill's grandson over Gallipoli.

 

[Galba Otho Vitelius]

Also if she doesn't marry Hitler she is not famous. Very few people would know that Hitler had a mistress.

 

[kyc0705]

Also if she doesn't marry Hitler she is not famous. Very few people would know that Hitler had a mistress.

She also would be Eva Braun, since there is no plausible way for her to both marry Hitler and to survive World War 2.

Or at least no plausible way that doesn't involve Hitler also escaping.

The preceding history is the same as ours -- up until today in TTL, we believed Hitler and Braun married on April 29, 1945 and committed suicide shortly thereafter.

 

[Galba Otho Vitelius]

Eva and Adolf were married something like within twenty-four hours of their committing suicide together. At that point, they either commit suicide together, both get captured, or both try to escape. You can't get Eva Braun to the bunker on April 29th and somehow have Hitler commit suicide an her survive, unless she also refuses to get married, in which case why go to the bunker in the first place? She knew exactly what was in store for her there when she went there.

 

[Apollo 20]

Her departure from the bunker really is an ASB level event if the recollections of any of the survivors are to be believed; there is a wealth of consistent accounts from Traudl Junge, Otto Guensche and others that attest to her death.

 

[ppaul16]

Maybe when they go to commit suicide she says "You go first" then after Hitler is dead she changes her mind. She then dresses like a homeless lady and sneaks out of the bunker and manages not to attract the attention of the Soviet soldiers and eventually escapes off to Argentina with some help.

 

[kyc0705]

Her departure from the bunker really is an ASB level event if the recollections of any of the survivors are to be believed; there is a wealth of consistent accounts from Traudl Junge, Otto Guensche and others that attest to her death.

That would be the great mystery of the whole event -- every contemporary recollection comes from someone who claimed they can confirm her death, yet now we would have indisputable proof she is alive. There are no other surviving witnesses, so what would we do then?

 

[Apollo 20]

That would be the great mystery of the whole event -- every contemporary recollection comes from someone who claimed they can confirm her death, yet now we would have indisputable proof she is alive. There are no other surviving witnesses, so what would we do then?

In that case, you have what might be one of the great conspiracy theories of all time, because the only explanation is some sort of concerted determination by the witnesses to conceal the truth since several witnesses claimed to have participated in removing the bodies and their subsequent partial cremation; a mistake seems impossible without some sort of weird body double theory that would have been impossible without the knowledge of these witnesses who were intimate personal aides to Hitler. This also gives rise to another mystery: whose body was found which was believed to be Braun's? As I recall, the Soviets moved these remains around before finally disposing of them for good by cremation with some skull fragments purportedly Hitler's in Russian archives. In any case, with witnesses dead and evidence long gone, the mystery of it all is unsolvable.

And, of course, the question is also raised whether Hitler himself survived the war.

 

[kyc0705]

As I recall, the Soviets moved these remains around before finally disposing of them for good by cremation with some skull fragments purportedly Hitler's in Russian archives.

Actually, in OTL, I believe those skull fragments were tested and it was revealed that it was from the remains of a 40-year-old woman.

 

[desmirelle]

Maybe when they go to commit suicide she says "You go first" then after Hitler is dead she changes her mind. She then dresses like a homeless lady and sneaks out of the bunker and manages not to attract the attention of the Soviet soldiers and eventually escapes off to Argentina with some help.

Dresses like a homeless lady? Manages not to attract the attention of the Soviet soldiers? One, most of the women in Germany with the exception of Mrs. Hitler dressed like homeless ladies by that point in the war. Two, why does she have to manage not to attract the attention of the soviets? Traudl Junge survived her encounter with them (as did countless others), why wouldn't Eva?

Argentina? It would be easier for her to simply give a false name to the allies and live under the name in Germany or The Netherlands or wherever closer to home where she doesn't have to learn a new language.