READHIS | ASSIGNMENT NO.

ASSESSING THE TESTIMONY OF ELIZABETH KALHAMMER AS AN

EYEWITNESS TO THE LIFE OF ADOLF HITLER

[Regine Ann G. Garcia - FODAR3]

1. In your opinion, is Mrs. Elizabeth Kalhammer a credible eyewitness despite her very
advanced age? Explain why you think so.

Mrs. Elizabeth Kalhammer was once a 19-years-old woman who worked and served as a
maid for Adolf Hitler and his mistress Eva Braun at the Berghof. Currently at the age of
92-years-old, Mrs. Kalhammer has decided to share her story after keeping her former
job as a secret for the past 70 years. As for the historians, having to interview a person at
the age of 92 is very crucial and quite challenging as it requires the interviewer to be
cautious and take extra sensitivity on conducting the interview. Apart from that, a clear
memory of the eyewitness should be identified and considered by the historians before
they start in conducting an interview.

However, Mrs. Kalhammer’s case is somehow different. Despite her very advanced age,
Mrs. Kalhammer managed to recall her past vividly which is quite surprising as she
relays her experiences as if it just happened yesterday. Her testimony clearly aligns with
the records and events that happened way back during the World War II and it is not also
stated that she suffers from any degenerative condition. Hence, we can conclude that Mrs.
Kalhammer’s testimony is valid and trustworthy as with no doubt, she is considered as a
credible eyewitness.

2. How would you assess the type of questions and statements that the interviewer made at
the course of the documentary? In your opinion, did she follow the “rules” of a good
historical interview / oral history?

Assessing how the correspondent of the Israel Broadcasting Corporation conducted the
oral history interview, Mrs. Kalhammer provided an astounding amount of detail in
providing specific answers which reveals how the interviewer delivered the statements
very well by asking effective questions that targets the main purpose of the interview. It
is also commendable how the interviewer managed to incorporate a special sensitivity in
conducting the interview with Mrs. Kalhammer by first showing courtesy as the very first
journalists that was welcomed into Mrs. Kalhammer’s home. Having to conduct the
interview in Mrs. Kalhammer’s home was also a very great move by their team because
apart from it being a pre-determined spot, it is also a place where Mrs. Kalhammer would
be most comfortable to take in an interview.
However, as the interview comes to an end, it is very evident how Mrs. Kalhammer
slightly depicted the “Old Days are Better” Mentality wherein she mentioned that back
then, they were admired as they could go anywhere they wanted and there was a certain
pride to it after being asked what she would like to say on her 20-years-old self if she
were given a chance. This then appears according to the historian’s rule wherein there
can be an instance that the eyewitness tended to look back at the “good old days” which
is definitely understandable as long as it didn’t affect the facts of the story. Hence, the
interviewer is did a great job on how she managed to handle the situations very well as
she didn’t just follow the historian’s rule clearly, but she also provided engaging
questions that leads to revealing the truth of what really did happen during the historical
event of Adolf Hitler’s reign to power.