Emmy Göring: Nazi “First Lady” Who Lived on Looted Art and War Crimes

World History: True Stories of the 20th Century · Apr 5, 2026 · 14m

Emmy Göring, the so-called “First Lady of the Third Reich” and wife of Hermann Göring, lived a life of luxury built on looted art and Nazi war crimes. Emmy Göring lived a life built on privilege, power, and plunder—rising from a modest actress to the woman the Nazi regime presented as the “First Lady of the Third Reich.” Born Emma Johanna Henny Sonnemann in 1893 into a wealthy Hamburg family, she trained as a stage performer and performed across major German theaters. Her life changed in 1932 when she met Hermann Göring, Hitler’s closest ally and the future head of the Luftwaffe. After their…