With priceless tapestries and other valuable art objects seen on open display perhaps Albert Speer, Hitler’s so-called favourite architect, would be involved in some if not all of the preparation from the beginning as well. The interior of the house was almost finished with some stables to be added later.

Goering had fitted into the vast space under the roof eaves and in the basement as well as two full working model train sets with miles of track. Of course, only he was allowed to operate its complicated gears. This was called by some and behind his back: “Hermann’s playroom.”

He had become very adroit in seeing everything run smoothly on the small fitted single and double tracks. And no train derailment had ever happened on his watch. Or would have dared! He may have perhaps been inspired by that splendid Renaissance castle of San Simeon then located in the California hills and owned by the famous press Czar William Randolf Hearst. He had also been characterised so successfully by the actor Orson Wells in the 1941 film “Citizen Kane.”

The site for the planned mausoleum for Carin would be carefully erected beside the beautiful “Lake Dollnssee” in the Schorfheide forest area. This lake somehow always gleamed like a shining-looking glass at any time of the day. An English traveller recorded in his unpublished diary years before after a visit in 1901 where it is also claimed by local historians that thousands of years ago, travelling nomadic Germanic tribes had paused over the years to pitch their tents. And then water and tend to their prized horses on their historic routes. But now that famed historic human tribe of the past was all but lost forever into the swirling mists of time.

Yet, Hermann always seemed to have an uneasy feeling as he regularly walked along that atmospheric lakeside each morning with his four faithful dogs. And always hoping to shed a few pounds himself from the exercise. Sometimes bringing his pet lioness “Sheba”, she obediently trotted by his side if it wasn’t raining. She was always safely secured of course to a strong chain leather lead for safety’s sake. But somehow in Hermann’s company, she always seemed rather docile and rather compliant with his whispered loving commands. 

He couldn’t sometimes place his finger on it but this lake and its wooded region always made him feel strangely uncomfortable and wary. Then his alert mind contemplated what might have happened by this serene lake as well in that long distant blooded past perhaps concerning those frequent inhumane savage sacrifices that were performed sadistically by sorcerers, witches, and other shameful shamans of the occult, that he had read about in many local guidebooks of the area. Committed then by a select few vicious priests and their acolytes on so many innocent people. 

Then as Hermann looked over its windless waters with his faithful dogs seated happily by his side, thinking then that this deep lake still contained as he had always suspected many lost valued buried receptacles of undiscovered secrets and detritus in the dark deep recesses of this undisturbed lake of the forest.

I have a personal theory unsubstantiated of course that when the first excited inebriated young Russian soldiers arrived and crashed into the Carinhall private wooded estate in 1945, they immediately ransacked the great magnificent baronIal hall and other rooms feeding their own selfish gratification on what they found and destroyed. Then after looting what they could from the house that had been partially dynamited on Goering’s orders. They then turned their drunken attention to that mysterious crypt that they saw when they arrived.

The young soldiers were probably now heavily intoxicated after drinking from the well-stocked Goering wine cellar. They then slowly entered rather cautiously into the awaiting darkened crypt, bringing torches and candles with them. They then removed all that was within its walls. Their attention was now drawn to what was inside the raised sepulchre and what treasures it might hold for them to seize and steal.

Somehow they managed to force open that heavy marble lid to reveal the enclosed zinc coffin. Forcing open then the heavy lid, they came across the partially decomposed body of Carin. They quickly and rather brutally removed all her bracelets, rings, lockets, and her jewelled family watch. All naturally of great importance and interest to the still bleary-eyed drunken soldiers. 

I suspect that much later Carin’s scattered bones were brutally ripped from the crypt. And were then later scattered in and around the nearby dense wooded area. Certainly, some of the decomposing remains must have been brutally manhandled up the steps previously by the brutal soldiers. And then crudely dumped them onto the grass by the waterside. And then like soldiers of old through history, they indulged in some drunken sport. Perhaps by deciding to play some football. With perhaps the now detached head of poor Carin? It may have been kicked around the long grass and then landed in the deep silted water. And probably is still languishing there to this very day?

Years later when Carin’s damaged skeleton was discovered in the wooded area and returned to her family, very little of the skeleton remained. As this x-ray picture.

Only the shaded parts were finally recovered to be taken back home to Sweden. It seems possibly only 20% cent was all that was finally returned to her concerned but grateful family in Sweden.

The splendid, magnificent mausoleum was specially designed for his beloved wife as a final resting abode for her. Perhaps with Albert Speer’s own notable designs and also probably supervised by Hermann every step of the way during the rushed construction. The finished tomb was then situated by the calm delightful lake of that remote region. This was meant to have been a final resting site suitable for his beloved Nordic Queen. Hermann had even speculated himself that he would hope if possible to be buried next to his darling Carin.

The only concern on the horizon that he could see was which of all his splendid bespoke colourful uniforms he would be interred in and with what prized medals to choose from to be pinned onto his vast chest.

On June 20th 1934 Carin’s body was reinterred from Sweden to Germany. The ceremony could really have been designed to rival any staged opera by Richard Wagner. Hundreds of soldiers and clergymen in flowing black and white and red silk robes added to the assorted cast. This performance could have been directed by the famous film director Cecil B. De Mille himself. 

Previously a specially designed steam train had been sprayed with black matt paint and adorned with copious amounts of black crepe bunting. 

Carin’s cumbersome coffin was carefully removed from Swedish soil to the German motherland by a then specially hired train that would be transported and timed with minute precision to its final destination. It would pass through many railway stations and country hills and would frequently slow down to be observed by saluting young Hitler Youths in uniforms, along the way. All offering the compulsory party salute, sometimes with difficulty for the younger weary members who had stood there for hours waiting on the exposed platform. And also seen standing tall and proud on boxes behind them were Himmler’s own feared black-uniformed SS guards, presenting arms to the passing train. Not forgetting of course, were the many excited League of German Maidens standing alongside them. All now clutching portraits of Carin Goering for display.

To be continued…

© G. Patrick Battell

January 2023

(All Rights Reserved)