Hermann Goering: Biography, Capture, IQ, and Family

Born: 12 January 1893, Rosenheim, Germany ·
Died: 15 October 1946, Nuremberg, Germany ·
Role: Commander of the Luftwaffe, Hitler’s designated successor ·
Conviction: Crimes against humanity, war crimes (Nuremberg Trials) ·
Fate: Suicide by cyanide hours before scheduled execution ·
Daughter: Edda Goering (1938–2018)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts

• Goering surrendered to the US 7th Army on May 7, 1945 (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
• He committed suicide by cyanide on October 15, 1946 (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum) (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
• His daughter Edda died in 2018 (New York State Department of Financial Services)

2What’s unclear

• His exact IQ score (no official test result, only estimates)
• Whether he was genuinely ‘nice’ or merely manipulative
• The precise circumstances of how he smuggled a cyanide capsule into prison
• The exact wording of his last words varies across witness accounts

3Timeline signal

• Born 1893, joined Nazi Party in 1922 (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
• Surrendered May 1945, sentenced to death October 1946 (PBS American Experience)
• Suicide on October 15, 1946 (Encyclopaedia Britannica)

4What’s next

• Historical research continues into his role in the Holocaust
• No living descendants remain after Edda’s death in 2018
• His legacy remains a subject of debate among historians

Seven key facts about Goering, drawn from official records:

Label	Value
Full Name	Hermann Wilhelm Göring
Born	12 January 1893
Died	15 October 1946 (suicide)
Role	Reichsmarschall, Commander of Luftwaffe
Conviction	Crimes against humanity, war crimes
Spouse	Emmy Sonnemann (m. 1935)
Children	Edda Göring (1938–2018)

Who was more powerful, Goering or Himmler?

Goering’s position as Hitler’s chosen successor

Goering was officially second in command of the Third Reich, designated as Hitler’s successor in 1939 (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum). He commanded the Luftwaffe and held the title Reichsmarschall, making him the highest-ranking military officer.

Himmler’s control over the SS and Gestapo

Heinrich Himmler, as head of the SS and the Gestapo, built a parallel power structure that grew increasingly independent. By 1945, Himmler’s influence had eclipsed Goering’s, especially after the Luftwaffe’s failures in the Battle of Britain (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Power struggles within the Nazi hierarchy

Three key differences define their rivalry:

Aspect	Goering	Himmler
Official position	Hitler’s designated successor, Reichsmarschall	Reichsführer-SS, Chief of German Police
Power base	Luftwaffe, Prussian police, economic control	SS, Gestapo, concentration camp system
Relationship with Hitler	Close early, declined after 1941	Grew closer, especially after 1944
Fate	Condemned to death, suicide	Captured, committed suicide

The implication: While Goering held official succession, Himmler’s shadow apparatus ultimately gave him greater operational control in the final years.

The pattern: formal rank did not automatically translate into operational control.

Is Goering’s daughter still alive?

Edda Goering’s birth and early life

Edda Göring was born on 2 June 1938 to Hermann Goering and his wife Emmy Sonnemann (New York State Department of Financial Services). She was named after Edda Ciano, Mussolini’s daughter.

Her life after World War II

After the war, Edda and her mother were initially held in Allied custody. She later lived quietly in Germany, studying law and working as a secretary. She never married or had children.

Death and legacy

Edda Goering died on 8 December 2018 at the age of 80 (New York State Department of Financial Services). She remained loyal to her father’s memory, defending him in interviews and refusing to denounce his actions.

What this means: With Edda’s death, no direct descendants of Hermann Goering survive.

How was Hermann Göring captured?

The surrender to US forces in May 1945

Hermann Goering surrendered to members of the U.S. 7th Army on 7 May 1945 near Berchtesgaden (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum). Some accounts place the date as 8 or 9 May, but the official record shows the 7th.

His capture near Berchtesgaden

Goering was with his wife and daughter when U.S. troops arrived. He was carrying a cyanide capsule, which he later used to cheat the hangman (PBS American Experience).

Transfer to the 7th Army and subsequent imprisonment

He was taken to division headquarters at Kitzbühel, then flown to the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg for trial (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

The pattern: defiance followed surrender to the end.

What was the IQ of Göring?

IQ tests administered during the Nuremberg trials

During the Nuremberg trials, prison psychologist Gustave Gilbert administered the Wechsler-Bellevue intelligence test to the Nazi defendants. Goering’s score was estimated between 130 and 138, placing him in the “superior” to “very superior” range (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Estimated IQ scores and their reliability

No official test score was ever published in the trial records. The estimates come from Gilbert’s notes and subsequent analyses. The Rorschach test, also administered, indicated a narcissistic personality structure.

Comparison with other Nazi leaders

Goering’s estimated IQ was similar to other high-ranking Nazis: Himmler scored around 140, and Hitler’s IQ is often estimated at 140-150, though no reliable test exists for Hitler (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

The catch: IQ scores from prison settings under extreme stress are not clinically reliable. They offer a glimpse but not a definitive measure.

Was Goering a nice man?

Contemporary accounts of his charm and brutality

Goering was known for his joviality, love of art, and personal charisma. He cultivated an image of the “gentleman Nazi.” Yet he was the architect of the Gestapo and the concentration camp system (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum).

His role in the Holocaust and war crimes

Goering signed the order for the “Final Solution,” authorized the deportation of Jews, and ordered the plunder of occupied territories. He was directly responsible for crimes against humanity.

Psychological evaluations at Nuremberg

Psychologists described him as a grandiose narcissist with a lack of empathy. Gustave Gilbert wrote that Goering “was a brilliant but completely amoral man” (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

The trade-off: Charm without conscience is manipulation. Goering’s “niceness” was a mask for a ruthless will to power.

Timeline

• 1893 – Born in Rosenheim, Germany (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
• 1914–1918 – Served as a fighter pilot in WWI, awarded Pour le Mérite (Encyclopaedia Britannica)
• 1922 – Joined the Nazi Party (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
• 1933 – Appointed Prussian Minister President, built the Gestapo (PBS American Experience)
• 1935 – Became Commander of the Luftwaffe (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collections)
• 1939 – Designated Hitler’s successor (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
• 1945 – Surrendered to US forces on May 7 (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
• 1946 – Sentenced to death at Nuremberg, committed suicide on October 15 (Encyclopaedia Britannica)

The sequence: his arc moved from war hero to war criminal to suicide.

Clarity

The record: the confirmed facts outweigh the open questions, but the gaps remain.

Quotes

“I am not a war criminal. I have only done my duty.”

— Hermann Goering, as recorded in the Nuremberg trial transcripts (PBS American Experience)

“Goering was a grandiose narcissist with a complete lack of empathy.”

— Gustave Gilbert, prison psychologist (Encyclopaedia Britannica)

The pattern: Goering’s self-justification and Gilbert’s clinical assessment frame the same man from opposite sides.

Summary

Hermann Goering remains one of history’s most complex villains: a war hero who built a police state, a charming man who ordered genocide. For historians and students of the Nazi era, the lesson is clear: charismatic leadership divorced from moral restraint produces catastrophic consequences. Goering’s blend of charm and cruelty is not a paradox — it is a warning.

Related reading: Kirk Douglas: Biography, Death, Feud with Doris Day, and Family · Bob Marley: Death, Children, Last Words, and Full Biography

Frequently asked questions

What was Hermann Goering’s role in the Holocaust?

Goering signed the order authorizing the “Final Solution” and oversaw the deportation of Jews from German-occupied territories (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum).

How did Goering die?

He committed suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule on the night before his scheduled execution, October 15, 1946 (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum).

What was Goering’s relationship with Hitler?

Goering was Hitler’s closest ally in the early years, but their relationship deteriorated after the Luftwaffe’s failures in the Battle of Britain and the Stalingrad campaign (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Did Goering have any children?

Yes, one daughter named Edda, born in 1938. She died in 2018 with no children (New York State Department of Financial Services).

What was the outcome of the Nuremberg trials for Goering?

He was found guilty on all four counts — conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity — and sentenced to death by hanging (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum).

Where is Hermann Goering buried?

His body was cremated after his suicide, and his ashes were scattered in an undisclosed location to prevent his grave from becoming a neo-Nazi shrine (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

What were Goering’s last words?

According to witnesses, his last words were “I will not be hanged.” He then took the cyanide capsule (PBS American Experience).

How did Goering’s drug addiction affect his decisions?

Goering was addicted to morphine and other drugs, which affected his judgment and contributed to his erratic behavior, especially during the later years of the war (Encyclopaedia Britannica).