Johannes Hentschel

Johannes Hentschel (10 May 1908 – 27 April 1982) was a German-Danish master electro-mechanic for German dictator Adolf Hitler's apartments in the Old Chancellery.

Born in Berlin to Danish parents, Hentschel was hired on 4 July 1934. During the last days of the Third Reich, he was responsible for the machine room in the Führerbunker and he stayed in the bunker after almost everyone else had either committed suicide or left, as the field hospital in the Chancellery above needed power and water. He surrendered to the Red Army as they entered the bunker and was released four years later, on 4 April 1949. Hentschel died in 1982 in Achern, West Germany.

In Downfall
In the theatrical version he is only briefly seen when he is restoring power to a failing generator during the scene where Eva is typing a letter to her sister, as well as in the epilogue which explains what happened to all the characters. In the extended version of the film, his performance is included.

In one scene Kempka, who is leading a group that also included Gunsche, Traudl, Gerda and Heinz, asks Hentschel why isn't he leaving. Hentschel tells him that he must stay to look after the generators, because if they break down, the hospital will be without electricity and water. Gunsche tells him to say hello to the Russians, and Johannes says he will.

In another scene, Hentschel goes to the surface and looks at the burnt remains of Adolf Hitler, Eva Braun, Joseph and Magda Goebbels. Returning to the bunker, he finds a group of female Soviet soldiers who ask where Hitler and Braun are, then ask to be taken to Eva's wardrobe. He asks them not to open the door to the Goebbels' room, which they do anyway and find the bodies of the Goebbels children.

He was portrayed by Oliver Stritzel.