Evening star., 1938-09-04
By LOUIS LOCHNER,

DN LOSIo AOSHNLn,
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent
BERLIN.-Mention the name of
Adolf Hitler and an image springs up
Of man surrounded by Field Marshall
Hermann Goering,, Propaganda Min
lister Goebbels, Foreign Minister Rib
bentrop, Deputy Party Leader Rudolf
Hess and Secret Service Chief Helm
rich Himmler.
But who are the men and women
working behind the scenes-compara-
lively unknown persons who influence
him and upon whom he leans heavily?
The German Fuehrer worships the
muses.. Two widows, representing the
fine arts of architecture and music,
respectively. exert an influence upon
Bachelor Adolf Hitler quite out of pro-
portion to the ordinary woman's role
in the man-controlled third Reich.
Gerdy Troost Made Professor.
Frau Prof Gerdy Troost, apparently
in the late 30s, with deep-set,
fanatic dark eyes, pointed, inquisi-
tive nose, generous mouth and ears,
and determined jaw, her dark bobhed
hair combed back straight from the
forehead, was awarded the title of
professor on Hitler's birthday an
niversary, April 20, 1897, in recognition
of her painstaking care in completing
buildings started by her late husband.
Prof Paul Ludwig Troost, who died at
the age Of SIS in 1884.
Prof. Troost had been a man after
Hitlers heart. The ideas. about archi-
lecture OF the two men conceded Long
before Hitler came to power Ludwig
Troost had enrolled as party men,
ber. To him the Nazi leader entrusted
the construction of the brown house
in Munich. national headquarters of
the Nazi party.
Later, after accession to power.
Hitler engaged Ludwig Troost to build
the Palace of German Art, the temple
to the heroes Of the Nazi revolution
and the House of the Fuehrer. all at
Munich. When death ended Ludwig
Troost's labors, Adolf Hitler appointed
his late friends most intimate CO.
worker, Frau Gerdy Troost, to carry
on where her husband left off.
Since then Frau Troost has belonged
to Hitler's inner circle. Architecture
is his greatest hobby, and he can for
get business and political cares COM
pletely as he plans a Germany Of
gigantic public buildings, broad super
highways and luxurious decorations.
Gar Created for Berlin.
Hitler's hobby has brought into his
entourage another disciple of Phidias-
youngish, tight-lipped, dark-eyed. tall,
large-headed Prof. Albert Speer,
age 80.
Speer has in a sense become the
czar of Berlin. BY special decree he
is authorized to condemn anything
and everything in greater Berlin and
environs that stands in the way of
Hitler's prodigious plans for making
the city on the spree conform to his
views Of what proud capital should be.
Speer also was entrusted by Hitler
with planning the Monumental party
convention buildings in Nuremberg and
with executing other important archi-
tectural plans. He is thus a frequent
visitor at Hitler's mountain home above
Berchtesgaden.
Next to architecture music is Adolf
Hitler's favorite diversion. No man
living, 1t is claimed. has heard Richard
Wagner's 'Meistersinger" performed
more frequently than Adolf Hitler,
Germanys Wagnerian par excellence.
Long before he became chancellor
and chief executive. Hitler was a
steady attendant at the festival plays
at Bayreuth. The late Siegfried
Wagner, son Of Richard, was his per-
sonal friend.
When Siegfried died in 1880, the
heritage of Richard, Cosima, and Sieg-
fried Wagner fell upon the then 80
year-old Frau Winifred. nee Williams,
mother of two strapping boys and two
equally promising girls.
Guest Of Wagner Family.
Adolf Hitler proved himself one of
Frau Winifred's most faithful friends.
More than once during the exacuing