Hitler’s examined DNA reveals astonishing secrets

Thanks to a comprehensive DNA analysis, previously hidden aspects of Adolf Hitler’s private life and personality have come to light, offering fresh perspectives on one of the most infamous figures of 20th-century history.

Generations of historians and researchers have long scrutinised Adolf Hitler’s life, yet a pioneering study has now opened a completely new dimension of investigation: the dictator’s DNA. In the documentary Hitler’s DNA: Blueprint of a Dictator, under the guidance of geneticist Turi King and historian Alex J. Kay, Hitler’s blood sample was analysed for the first time – and the findings revealed astonishing details, reports History Extra.

Hitler’s blood examined

The DNA sample came from a simple piece of tissue cut by Lieutenant Colonel Roswell P. Rosengren from the sofa on which the dictator shot himself on 30 April 1945 in his Berlin bunker.

The tissue was later acquired by the Gettysburg Historical Museum, which verified its provenance. Genetic identification confirmed the blood belonged to Hitler after a match was made with the Y chromosome of a distant paternal relative.

• The Hungarian actress who was adored by both Hitler and Stalin

A recognised gene deficiency explains much

The DNA analysis immediately dispelled a long-standing myth: according to the findings, Hitler had no Jewish ancestry on his father’s side, contrary to suspicions circulating since the 1920s. Yet the genetic profile revealed far deeper correlations.

Sequencing of the full genome showed he carried a gene deficiency linked to Kallmann syndrome and congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.

This mutation can result in low testosterone levels, reduced libido, developmental abnormalities of the sexual organs, and fertility issues. Historical records – including a medical examination of the dictator in 1923 – confirm that he indeed suffered from such physical conditions.

The genetic findings also shed new light on other contemporary accounts. Hitler’s childhood friend August Kubizek wrote of “monastic asceticism”, complete disinterest in women, and sexual self-restraint, while other contemporaries noted he simply felt ashamed of his body. Kallmann syndrome provides a coherent explanation for all these observations.

Researchers identified predispositions to mental disorders

The study also calculated polygenic risk scores, revealing that Hitler ranked in the top 1% for genetic predispositions to schizophrenia, autism, and bipolar disorder.

While this does not constitute a formal diagnosis, nor does it mean he carried these conditions, the fact that he scored so highly across all three categories is exceptionally rare.

• Incredible: Hundreds of nazi war criminals may have started new lives in Australia

The reality was much more complex

All of this, however, is only part of the picture. Hitler’s traumatic childhood – including an abusive father and the early deaths of his siblings and parents – contributed to the formation of his personality just as much as later societal influences.

While the DNA analysis cannot explain the Holocaust or the dictator’s horrific actions, the combination of genetic and historical data provides an important new dimension to our understanding of Hitler’s exceptionally enigmatic, entirely politically driven life – a life unlike that of any other Nazi leader.