After the end of World War II, many legends persisted about Adolf Hitler's life. Those who survived and knew of the dictator's crimes claimed that Hitler alone was responsible for the war and genocide. But what truth lies behind the speculation that he was a psychopath, mentally ill, or a pervert? Is it true that he was incapable of human emotions, friendships, or even romantic relationships? In fact, the dictator maintained a multitude of intense contacts and friendships—including, and especially, with women.

For decades, it was claimed that Adolf Hitler was a man without a private life, a socially disturbed character. Yet at his Berghof estate in the Berchtesgaden Alps, he was surrounded by a close-knit family circle. Hitler's mistress, Eva Braun, organized life on the Obersalzberg as his private secretary. Anyone wishing to belong to this secretive community had to be considered unconditionally loyal. The Goebbels, Bormann, and many other families were aware of the crimes being planned in this idyllic Alpine setting.

After the invasion of Poland and the outbreak of World War II, little initially changed in the private lives of the Nazi leaders. Following public appearances, Hitler repeatedly retreated to his "Inner Circle" at the Berghof on the Obersalzberg. Meanwhile, increasing numbers of European Jews were deported to extermination camps in the East and lived in concentration camps like Buchenwald. There, terror and murder reigned. Commandant Karl Otto Koch led a bourgeois life nearby with his wife Ilse – his children played right next door to the horrors of the camp.