Wolf's Lair - Daily Routine

Daily Routine

When Hitler was in residence, he would begin the day by taking a walk alone with his dog around 9 or 10 am, and at 10:30 am would look at the mail which had been delivered by air or courier train, but the daily routine centred on a noon situation briefing held in Keitel's and Jodl's bunker, which frequently ran as long as two hours. This was followed by a long lunch at 2 pm, where Hitler would invariably sit in the same place, as he did at every meal, between Jodl and Otto Dietrich, the Nazi Press Chief, while opposite him sat Keitel, Hitler's secretary, Martin Bormann and General Karl Heinrich Bodenschatz, Goering's adjutant.

After lunch, Hitler would deal with non-military matters for the remainder of the afternoon. Coffee was served around 5 pm, followed by a second military briefing by Jodl at 6 pm. Dinner, which could last as long as two hours, began at 7:30 pm, after which films were shown. The late nights were taken up by Hitler's monologues to his entourage, including two of his female secretaries, who had accompanied Hitler to the Wolf's Lair. Occasionally Hitler and his entourage listened to gramophone records of Beethoven symphonies, selections from Wagner or other operas, or German lieder.