Fabric cut from the sofa on which Hitler killed himself contained DNA, which was analyzed to reveal that Hitler likely had a genetic condition that disrupts normal sexual development.
Alex J. Kay, a historian at the University of Potsdam and an expert on Nazi Germany, argues in the film that such findings might help explain Hitler’s “almost total devotion to politics with an almost complete absence of private life.” In his view, the Nazi movement could only have risen to power under Hitler’s particular leadership and circumstances, he says in the documentary.
The DNA analysis, the researchers claim, also refutes a long-standing rumor that Hitler had a Jewish grandfather, a charge recently repeated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Instead, they say the genetic evidence points to Austrian-German origins.
The study further suggests that Hitler’s genome shows very high polygenic scores, placing him in the top percentile for genetic susceptibility to neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions such as autism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. However, the scientists stress that this is a statistical assessment based on “polygenic scores” and does not constitute a firm diagnosis, noting that it is impossible to diagnose him retroactively.
Lead geneticist Prof. Turi King is quoted in the film as saying that “if Hitler had seen his own genetic results, he would almost certainly have sent himself to the gas chambers.” She and other experts involved in the project, including Prof. Simon Baron-Cohen of the University of Cambridge, caution strongly against drawing simplistic conclusions.
They emphasize that genetics cannot excuse Hitler’s crimes and warn against linking such conditions to cruelty, in order to avoid stigmatizing people living with similar diagnoses. “DNA is always just one part of someone’s puzzle,” King says in the film. “You cannot see evil in a genome.”
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