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Heinz Lorenz

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Heinz Lorenz (7 August 1913 – 23 November 1985) was German dictator Adolf Hitler's Chief Press Secretary during World War II.

A native of Schwerin, he was a reserve officer and served as Hauptschriftführer of the Deutsches Nachrichtenbüro (DNB). In 1945, Lorenz became the deputy press attaché in the Führerbunker. Towards the end of the war, after Germany's own communications system was all but lost, Lorenz became part of a group of Germans who fabricated news reports by reviewing and re-writing Allied news reports.

Lorenz worked for General Hans Krebs. He worked with Bernd von Freytag-Loringhoven and Gerhardt Boldt. Lorenz monitored Reuters on the BBC. Hitler never learned of the deception.

On 28 April, Lorenz provided Hitler with confirmation that Heinrich Himmler was contacting the Allies through Count Folke Bernadotte. He was among the bunker personnel who left the Führerbunker on 29 April, the day before Hitler's suicide.

After the war, Lorenz was private secretary to the Haus Hugo Stinnes from 1947 to 1953. He was parliamentary stenographer for the West German Bundestag from 1953 to 1958 and Leiter of the Stenographic Service of the Bundesrat from 1958 until retirement in 1978.

Lorenz died while traveling from Bonn to Düsseldorf in November 1985.

See also