The British Channel 4 documentary entitled “Hitler's DNA: The essence of the dictator “ reveals not only medical facts about Hitler 80 years after his death at the end of World War II. An attempt has also been made to explain his behavior based on DNA analysis. However, this is a rather controversial undertaking from a scientific point of view.
Kalmann Syndrome: the dictator's rare illness
DNA sequencing has revealed, for example, that Hitler suffered from the rare Kallmann Syndrome - a genetically determined disease leading to a more limited production of sex hormones. The consequences are absent or severely delayed puberty, lower testosterone levels, an underdeveloped sense of smell, undescended testicles, and a higher likelihood of micropenis or other genital abnormalities.
As early as 1939, British soldiers dedicated a mocking song to Hitler's physical shortcomings, entitled "Hitler Has Only One Testicle."
The conclusions from the DNA analysis largely overlap with information from Hitler's medical records from the "Landsberg" prison, where he was sent after the failed coup attempt in 1939. At that time, the prison doctor diagnosed an undescended right testicle.
In addition, Hitler's personal physician - Theodor Morell - gave the dictator regular testosterone injections until 1944, which could also support the Kallmann Syndrome thesis.
Psychological risks in Hitler's DNA
In addition, Hitler's DNA analysis also reveals an extremely high probability of having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, autistic behavior, schizophrenia, and a tendency towards antisocial behavior.
There are indeed reliable sources and observations of contemporaries that testify to a mental disorder or "mental instability" in Hitler. In his studies on the mental instability of historical figures such as Lincoln and Churchill, Iranian-American psychiatrist Nasser Ghaemi identifies Hitler as the only negative example.
According to Ghaemi, the DNA findings are “scientifically based“, he is convinced that Hitler had manic-depressive illness (bipolar disorder). “Manic traits increase creativity and energy, depressive symptoms increase empathy and realism. These traits can be used for any political orientation – tyrannical, as in the case of Hitler, or democratic, as in the case of Churchill“, the psychiatrist explains to DW.
Hitler's “mental instability“ worsened after 1937 on the basis of the daily injection of amphetamines due to his depressions, Ghaemi also points out. This assessment is also confirmed by historical sources. According to Gaemi, the fact that Hitler probably suffered from Kallmann Syndrome can explain "why, unlike most people with manic traits, he apparently did not have a strong libido, given that he displayed many other manic signs such as talkativeness, great physical energy, low need for sleep and excessive self-confidence". But these are indications, not proof.
How reliable are the conclusions
Naturally, such assessments and new medical discoveries can help to better understand Hitler's psychology. But the characterization of individual behavior only through genetic analyses and the use of “polygenic risk tests“ (which assess the genetic risk for a particular disease) is not permissible.
The manifestation of mental disorders is always the result of a complex interaction between genetics, environment, life history and individual experience. Genetic tests cannot diagnose mental illnesses - for this purpose, a thorough assessment based on symptoms, conversations with the person concerned and his environment is required.
“The leap from biology to behavior is huge“, admits British biologist Simon Baron-Cohen, who participated in the documentary. Geneticists and psychologists involved in the production admit that conclusions based on DNA analyses alone are not permissible.
Contrary to rumors: Hitler was not Jewish
At least one very widespread rumor has been refuted by genetic analysis - about Hitler's Jewish origin. In 2022, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Hitler's grandfather was Jewish. Now, however, DNA analysis has revealed clear genetic evidence of Hitler's Austro-German roots.
The material under study is from the dictator's couch
As reported in the documentary, the DNA material studied was taken from the blood-stained sofa on which Hitler shot himself on April 30, 1945. Later, Colonel Roswell Rosengren, a press officer in the US Army, took a piece of the damask as an ominous souvenir from the "Führer" bunker. The piece is now in a military history museum in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The story seems credible: there are many photos of Hitler and the sofa, as well as how Russian and American soldiers cut pieces of the damask.
The problem lies elsewhere - according to the documentary, the authenticity of the DNA material was checked with samples from Hitler's relatives. But who they are remains unknown.
Danger of stigmatization and downplaying
The researchers involved in the film must have been aware that it is extremely problematic to associate autism or ADHD with Hitler as the embodiment of evil. “There is a high risk of stigmatization, because such an association hides the danger of people with mental illnesses being associated with mass murderers“, says psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen.“
Furthermore, there is a danger that by pathologizing Hitler as sick, his inhumane behavior will be explained entirely by genetic characteristics and will be downplayed. As Gaemi shares, this is “a constant concern of some scientists and activists in Germany“. Statements about Hitler's health have "no bearing on moral responsibility for his crimes," Ghaemi told DW. Both morally and legally, Hitler is responsible for his actions.
Hitler's DNA and the myth of the "Aryan master race"
What an irony of fate! According to the laws of the National Socialists, Hitler himself could have become a victim of the Nazi euthanasia program - as "genetically sick" and "unviable". According to the so-called "race theory" of the Nazis, the determining factor in human destiny is blood. "The ability to make positive or negative decisions is a character trait that is determined by blood," Hitler wrote in his book "Mein Kampf" .
It also states that "purity of blood" enables the individual to make "right" decisions and strengthen the unity of the nation, while contamination of blood through "racial mixing" leads to "illogical actions" and destroys civilizations.
Author: Alexander Freund