Heinz Linge

Heinz Linge (23 March 1913 – 1980) was one of the servants at Adolf Hitler's headquarters.

Linge worked as a valet (chamber servant) at Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg and at Hitler's bunker in the last days of the Führer's life, and was Hitler's personal ordinance officer. Linge delivered messages to Hitler and also escorted people for whom Hitler had sent. Linge was one of many soldiers, servants, secretaries and officers who moved into the Reich Chancellery bunker in 1945. There he continued as Hitler's valet and protocol officer and was one of those who closely witnessed the last days of Hitler's life. Linge was one of the last to leave the bunker and was arrested by the Red Army, which interogated him about the circumstances of Hitler's death. He was released from Soviet captivity in 1955 and died in Bremen in West Germany in 1980. The depiction of Linge in Oliver Hirschbiegel's film Der Untergang (Downfall) is reported to be accurate (he is played by a German actor named Thomas Limpinsel). A Soviet film depicts Linge shooting Hitler after his death, in order to create the impression that he had not died in a "cowardly" manner, by cyanide.