Lina Heydrich: The Fanatical Nazi Widow of Reinhard Heydrich

World History: True Stories of the 20th Century · Mar 8, 2026 · 16m

Lina Heydrich, the wife of SS leader Reinhard Heydrich, was one of the most fanatical women in the Nazi elite. Fiercely loyal to both her husband and Adolf Hitler’s regime, she embraced the power, privilege, and brutality that came with being the spouse of one of the Third Reich’s most feared men.

Born in 1911 on the island of Fehmarn, Lina grew up surrounded by nationalism and antisemitism. In 1930 she met a young naval officer, Reinhard Heydrich. Less than two weeks later they were engaged. After Heydrich’s expulsion from the navy, Lina encouraged him to join the Nazi Party and the SS, a…