Every meal feels like your last: the story of Margot Wölk, Hitler's food taster (8 photos)

Margot Wölk lived in constant fear—every meal could be her last. She was one of Adolf Hitler's food tasters, forced to sample his food to ensure it was free of poison. What did she endure, how did this terrifying "ritual" work, and how did her story end? Find out about the woman who stared death in the face every day.





Hitler's Paranoia and His Food Tasters

Even great villains have basic needs—the same as everyone else. For example, sleep and food. However, not all of them can afford to enjoy rest and food in peace.



Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun at lunch

Adolf Hitler once developed a paranoia about being poisoned. Therefore, the Führer had a whole team of people who checked his food for additives beforehand. One of these was Margot Wölk, a woman with a rather tragic story.

"Wolf's Lair" – the Führer's refuge

During World War II, Adolf Hitler spent more than two years in the "Wolf's Lair." This was a specially constructed Wehrmacht complex in the Görlitz forest, near the Polish town of Rastenburg. The "Wolfsschanze" consisted of over 80 bunkers and fortified structures. The complex was fenced off with barbed wire, and the surrounding area was mined. Observation towers, machine gun positions, and anti-aircraft guns were located throughout. The Wolfsschanze employed around 2,000 people, and had a garden, greenhouses, and a vegetable patch...





Wolfsschanze Wolf's Lair

It would seem that there was everything needed for a peaceful and safe hideaway from the outside world. But Hitler continued to fear for his life, and the events of July 20, 1944, proved that he was right. It was at the Wolfsschanze that the assassination attempt on the Führer was staged, which ended in failure and numerous executions of those responsible for the plot.

Team of Tasters

Naturally, Hitler was wary of the food served to him. So he decided to hire a team of tasters. It consisted entirely of women. Over the course of several years, 15 young German women sampled all of Hitler's food to check for poison. Any plate a taster ate could be their last... But they had no choice.



Wölk shows an old photo album with a photograph showing the route to the Führer's later headquarters.

The "Poison Brigade" first came to light in 2013. The sole surviving food taster, Margot Wölk, gave an interview to the German magazine Der Spiegel, where she described her experiences working there.

Escape from Berlin and the Work of a Food Taster

In 1941, the Allies destroyed her parents' apartment in Berlin. Margot and her family were forced to flee to Poland. Ironically, the refugees settled near the "Wolf's Lair," and she was soon recruited by the SS as a food taster.

The food was excellent—the finest vegetables, asparagus, bell peppers, and so on. And always served with rice or pasta.



Margot Wölk at 92

According to Margot, the Nazis picked her and other girls up every morning and took them to the "Wolf's Lair." There, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., they had to taste the food. Afterward, the Nazis waited another hour—in case the poison took longer to take effect. Only then would the Führer calmly sit down at the dinner table.

Hitler was a vegetarian and preferred the highest quality produce. He was brought white asparagus, magnificent ripe fruit, peppers, and cauliflower.

The food on Hitler's table was always fresh and delicious. Lots of vegetables, sweets, milk, and the cakes Hitler adored. But the tasters had no appetite at all, as every breakfast, lunch, or dinner could be their last. Many cried from fear during meals, and later from joy at being alive.



The Rescue and Tragedy of the Friends

After the failed assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20, the girls were forbidden to leave the "Wolfsschanze." They were housed in an old school building on the shelter grounds. There, they were closely monitored by the Nazis. However, this did not prevent an SS officer from sneaking into the school one day and raping Margot.



Wölk shows an old photo album with a photograph of herself taken around 1939 or 1940.

On November 20, 1944, the Red Army approached the "Wolf's Lair," and Hitler was forced to return to Germany. One of the officers put Margot on a train to Berlin; the other female tasters did not survive.

Life After the War

In 1946, in Germany, Margot finally reunited with her husband after many years of separation. He had joined the German army in 1939 but then disappeared without a trace. Margot was certain her husband had died, but it turned out he had been held captive for a long time. They were married for 36 years, until Karl passed away in 1980.

It was only decades later that Margot decided to tell her story. She admitted that for years she couldn't eat or even look at food properly. She called Hitler a "pig" and a truly terrifying person.



Margot Wölk's story is a tale of how one person's fear and paranoia condemned others to a life of constant danger. Hitler's food tasters, including Margot, risked their lives every day for his safety, turning ordinary food into a survival test. What do you think kept Margot silent for so many years—fear, shame, or something else? Share your thoughts in the comments!