|
Thomas von Benda of Apple Valley, California,, has a question, Tuesday, June 17, 2003 about Hitler’s walking stick  What happened to Hitler’s stick? HAVE YOU at any time come across any mention of the fate of Nietzsche’s walking stick, which was presented to Hitler as a token of her affection by Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche in the mid-1930’s, shortly before her death.
Speer believed that it was probably stolen by some Soviet looter, and is probably residing now on a shelf in a Russian outhouse. Still it is a fascinating question. Of course, as a musician, I am more concerned with the disappearance of some Richard Wagner scores in the final days of the war. I know that Wieland Wagner made a desperate journey to Berlin at great risk of his life to try and convince Hitler to return the scores (which were presented to him on his 50th birthday) but Hitler was determined to keep them in his possession, telling Wieland that “…I would not want some American soldier tossing these into a bonfire—they are safe with me…” The fall of Berlin was barely two weeks away. In any case please share with me any information you might have gathered on the walking stick and Wagner scores. It is thought that the Soviets spirited the scores to Moscow, where they remain. But as you know, it is difficult to obtain any truthful information from the “former” Soviet Union!
|
The Führer used the stick on all of his outings at the Berghof (numerous photographs attest to this) and according to a conversation I had on the subject with Albert Speer around 1970, he kept it with him at all times in the various locales where he maintained headquarters during WWII.
