Eva Braun is one of the most infamous women in history as the longtime mistress and briefly, wife of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. Her relationship and inner circle access to Hitler has made her role controversial and often misunderstood. One of the basic questions about Eva Braun that has intrigued historians is what color eyes she had. While minor, this detail provides insight into her appearance and persona. Let’s examine the evidence on what color eyes did Eva Braun have.
Blue Eyes
The most commonly accepted theory is that Eva Braun had blue eyes. Several historical accounts describe Braun as having a blue-eyed appearance:
- British historian Ian Kershaw described her as “an attractive and vivacious young woman, with a rather superficial and haphazard intellectual development. She spent most of her time exercising, skiing, or watching films…She was young, blonde, and blue-eyed…”
- Brigitte Hamann’s biography of Eva Braun stated “She was pretty, even beautiful, slender, athletic-looking, with blonde hair and blue eyes.”
- Historian Nerin E. Gun wrote that Eva Braun had “clear blue eyes.”
Photographic evidence also supports the blue eyes theory. Although black and white photos make definitively determining eye color difficult, several colorized photos show Braun with light and bright blue eyes:
| Original B&W Photo | Colorized Version |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Many historians believe these photos accurately capture Braun’s blue eyes.
Green Eyes?
A minority of historical accounts suggest Eva Braun may have had green eyes. However, evidence is limited:
- In a memoir, Braun’s friend Nerin Gun claimed Braun’s eyes were “a curious clear green.” However, Gun’s other descriptions characterized Braun as blonde-haired and blue-eyed.
- A biography of Hitler described Braun’s eyes as green but did not provide a source for this information.
- Some colorized photos show Braun with green eyes, but seem intended to offer alternate possibilities rather than definitively capture her eye color.
While possible, there is far less evidence that Eva Braun had green eyes compared to accounts and sources pointing to blue.
Eye Color in Photography
Analyzing photographic evidence of Eva Braun’s eye color presents challenges:
- Black and white photos offer no definitive sense of color.
- Early color photography processes were inconsistent, with frequent eye color inaccuracies.
- Digital colorization involves subjectivity and artistic interpretation.
Photography experts note that capturing true eye color in photos can be difficult:
| Factor | Effect on Eye Color |
|---|---|
| Lighting/Flash | Can cause red-eye effect or washout/lighten iris color |
| Film/Camera Settings | Certain films tended to lighten or distort color |
| Development Techniques | Chemical processes impacted color balancing |
| Digital Colorization | Interpretation and manual color selecting involved |
Considering these factors, determining eye color from Eva Braun’s photographs remains challenging and inconclusive.
Clothing and Makeup Choices
Some scholars believe Eva Braun’s choice in clothing, jewelry, and makeup likely complemented her eye color and offers clues about whether they were blue or green:
- Braun wore blue eye makeup, suggesting blue eyes.
- Silver and platinum jewelry pieces paired best with cool-toned blue eyes.
- Her outfits combined cool blues and greens, more flattering for blues than greens.
However, other historians argue her fashion and beauty style was more indicative of the overall color trends of that era rather than evidence for her specific eye color. Overall, her style choices provide only weak circumstantial evidence regarding whether her eyes were blue or green.
What Eva Braun Said
Unfortunately, Eva Braun left behind no definitive statements on her own eye color. Some key points:
- No memoirs or writings specifically mentioning her eye color.
- No known interviews or quotes commenting on her appearance.
- Contemporaries like Hitler who mentioned her looks focused on hair and facial features, omitting eye color.
Without any direct statements from Braun herself, we can only turn to outside observers to attempt to determine if her eyes were blue or another color.
Conclusion
Determining the exact color of Eva Braun’s eyes has intrigued and eluded historians. Contemporary accounts provide mixed theories, while photographic evidence remains inconclusive. Based on available information, the consensus view leans strongly towards Eva Braun having blue eyes. Although some sources suggest green, evidence supporting this position significantly weaker. While we may never have a definitive answer, the best available information indicates Eva Braun likely had blue eyes, matching common descriptions of her overall physical appearance.
Without more conclusive sources on this minor detail, the question of what color eyes did Eva Braun have will likely persist as an intriguing historical mystery about Hitler’s notorious mistress.