Erna Hanfstaengl

Erna Hanfstaengl ([ˈɛʁna hanfˈʃtɛŋl̩]; October 31, 1885 – May 6, 1981), was the elder sister of Ernst ("Putzi") Hanfstaengl and was an acquaintance of Adolf Hitler.^[1]^[2] She also befriended Unity Mitford, who lived with Erna for a period.^[3]^[4]

^ See Erna as a girl: a portrait of Erna as a young girl, painted by Franz von Defregger and dated 1890. Hitler was born in 1889 so apparently Erna was about four years older than Hitler and about two years older than her brother Ernst (known as "Putzi"), who was born in 1887). See also Conradi, Peter (2006). Hitler's Piano Player: The Rise and Fall of Ernst Hanfstaengl. Carroll & Graf Publishers. p. 13. ISBN 0-7867-1691-6. ("Conradi") (stating that Erna was born in 1885)
^ "Germany: Let's Be Friends!". Time. March 9, 1936. (Identifying Erna Hanfstaengl as an acquaintance of Hitler due to Hitler's friendship with her brother "Putzy" [sic].)
^ In the spring of 1939, Unity (always short of money) moved in with Erna. At Erna's request, Unity asked Hitler (during lunch) if he would meet with Erna, whose objective was to reconcile Putzi (who had fled Germany in fear of his life) with Hitler. Hitler agreed and met with Erna in private, later taking tea with both Unity and Erna. Lovell, Mary S. (2003). The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 284. ISBN 0-393-32414-1. ("Lovell")
^ After a complicated episode in which Erna later sought to use Unity as an intermediary to collect Putzi's back pay after he fled Germany in fear of his life, Hitler became furious at the "money-grubbing Hanfstaengls" and ordered Unity to move out of Erna's house immediately; Unity was reportedly terrified by this command (and by Hitler's attendant fury) and did so promptly. She was reluctant even to contact Erna after her conversation with Hitler, and did so at first through an intermediary. She later that day had her things retrieved from Erna's house by a friend and spent the night in a hotel. Conradi, pp. 231-232. Lovell, p. 285. Erna at one time warned Unity to be more discreet in repeating and spreading idle Nazi party gossip that she heard, accusing Unity of acting as if the party were an operetta. Conradi, p. 204.

[1] See Erna as a girl: a portrait of Erna as a young girl, painted by Franz von Defregger and dated 1890. Hitler was born in 1889 so apparently Erna was about four years older than Hitler and about two years older than her brother Ernst (known as "Putzi"), who was born in 1887). See also Conradi, Peter (2006). Hitler's Piano Player: The Rise and Fall of Ernst Hanfstaengl. Carroll & Graf Publishers. p. 13. ISBN 0-7867-1691-6. ("Conradi") (stating that Erna was born in 1885)

[2] "Germany: Let's Be Friends!". Time. March 9, 1936. (Identifying Erna Hanfstaengl as an acquaintance of Hitler due to Hitler's friendship with her brother "Putzy" [sic].)

[3] In the spring of 1939, Unity (always short of money) moved in with Erna. At Erna's request, Unity asked Hitler (during lunch) if he would meet with Erna, whose objective was to reconcile Putzi (who had fled Germany in fear of his life) with Hitler. Hitler agreed and met with Erna in private, later taking tea with both Unity and Erna. Lovell, Mary S. (2003). The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 284. ISBN 0-393-32414-1. ("Lovell")

[4] After a complicated episode in which Erna later sought to use Unity as an intermediary to collect Putzi's back pay after he fled Germany in fear of his life, Hitler became furious at the "money-grubbing Hanfstaengls" and ordered Unity to move out of Erna's house immediately; Unity was reportedly terrified by this command (and by Hitler's attendant fury) and did so promptly. She was reluctant even to contact Erna after her conversation with Hitler, and did so at first through an intermediary. She later that day had her things retrieved from Erna's house by a friend and spent the night in a hotel. Conradi, pp. 231-232. Lovell, p. 285. Erna at one time warned Unity to be more discreet in repeating and spreading idle Nazi party gossip that she heard, accusing Unity of acting as if the party were an operetta. Conradi, p. 204.

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