Hitler's DNA: British documentary to air findings from blood sample

London (dpa) – Why was Adolf Hitler the way he was? As simple as the question sounds, even over 80 years after the Nazi dictator's death, an answer remains elusive — and every new attempt to explain it stirs controversy. A new British documentary now aims to shed light on the issue by analysing Hitler’s DNA. Doubts remain about the methods and conclusions, but a lasting fascination surrounding this topic endures nonetheless. The documentary, titled "Hitler’s DNA: Blueprint of a Dictator", claims to identify specific genetic traits in Hitler’s DNA for the first time. Airing in the United Kingdom on Saturday, the documentary is being promoted with the strapline: "For the first time ever, experts identify Hitler’s DNA. What do his genes reveal about Hitler's heritage and origins, his neurology and drives?" The Times newspaper reported in its coverage of the documentary "Hitler's DNA: Blueprint of a Dictator" that Hitler had a hidden genetic sexual disorder. According to British media, the research team behind the documentary suggests that Hitler’s genetic profile shows signs of Kallmann syndrome. This rare condition affects puberty, which may not occur at all or may be incomplete. In boys, this can lead to minimal body hair, a lack of voice deepening and other underdeveloped secondary sexual characteristics. However, drawing conclusions about personality traits from such findings is problematic, as The Guardian has commented. "Some of the insights are scientifically sound and will contribute to historical debate," the newspaper writes, but adds that drawing conclusions about Hitler’s peculiarities remains scientifically questionable. At the same time, attempting to read the destiny of a person from their blood is not dissimilar to the so-called "race science" at the heart of Nazi ideology, the paper comments. The DNA analysis in question reportedly relies on a blood sample taken from a sofa found in Hitler’s Führerbunker after his death on April 30, 1945, and Germany’s defeat in World War II. US troops recovered the sofa, upon which Hitler is believed to have shot himself. The connection to Hitler was supposedly confirmed in 2008, when the blood sample was compared to the DNA of a man who shares paternal ancestry with the dictator. The following information is not intended for publication dpa mj mxx pba wjh xx n1 tay coh

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)