The American descendants of Adolf Hitler live under assumed names in a quiet, working-class suburb of Long Island.
Alexander Adolf, Louis, and Brian William are native New Yorkers. Never married. No children. Two have their own landscaping business. One is a social worker. Another brother, Howard, died in an auto accident.
How did relatives of Hitler end up living in the United States? It begins with his nephew, William Patrick Hitler.
William Patrick was born in Liverpool in 1911. He was the son of Adolph Hitler’s half-brother Alois. He moved to Berlin in the 1930’s. His last name and resemblance to his half-brother became lucrative assets. Hitler himself regarded William as a freeloader and a buffoon. One of his “most repulsive relatives.” As Germany prepared to invade Poland, William left for the United States.
In the US, much as modern-day celebrities, William charged per public appearance. He regaled American audiences with life “inside the Nazi Reich.” Things changed when America entered the war. Fear reprisal and ridicule replaced the desire to profit. William attempted to enlist in the military. His application rejected, he wrote a protest letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. As one can imagine, a letter from a blood relative to the man considered “evil incarnate” caused a stir. An FBI investigation ensued. The letter triggered an investigation by the FBI. He was then allowed to enlist in the United States Navy.
After the war, William Patrick made his way to Long Island, NY. He passed away in 1987. Besides the material things, he handed down to his children, they inherited his infamous last name. A name so tainted, they may have thought the only option was to deny themselves, children.
There are many unanswered questions about the brothers. Has the stigma of the last name affected their psychological health? What can genetic testing of these brothers tell us? Are the brothers carrying any genetic markers that would offer some explanation for Hitler’s psychopathic behavior? Can genetic testing tell us whether the oft-repeated rumor that Hitler himself had Jewish lineage is true?
According to Dr. Fritz Redlich in his book, “Diagnosis of A Destructive Prophet,” Hitler feared that his paternal grandfather was Jewish. As noted in the book, Hitler’s Jewish Soldiers, few publications examine this issue. None have verified sources. Pages 172-175 contain a fascinating discussion of arguments on both sides of the coin.
“If the DNA shows anything, it will show how interconnected we all are. It might answer questions about his Jewish background but would not tell us anything about violent tendencies. Regardless of his background, he was an angry, evil man. In the end, it would help us realize that we can learn how to embrace the good in us and fight evil regardless of genetics. In the end, you do not need proof of Hitler’s genetics to learn this truth about humanity.”
Will the Hitler brothers open up about the burden of their lineage? Will they tell us whether they entered into a pact never to marry or have children?
The Hitler Nephews are reportedly writing their own book about their lives.