Adolf Hitler: Austrian-Born, German-Made

Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria, in 1889. He was raised in Linz, Austria, and lived in Vienna in the first decade of the 1900s before moving to Germany in 1913. Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming chancellor in 1933 and then taking the title of Führer und Reichskanzler in 1934.

Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria, in 1889

Adolf Hitler was born on 20 April 1889 in Braunau am Inn, a town in Austria-Hungary (present-day Austria), near the German border. He was the fourth of six children born to Alois Hitler and his third wife, Klara. Hitler's father was a local customs official, and his mother was his much younger third wife. Hitler's father was illegitimate, and his mother died of breast cancer when Hitler was 18 years old, in 1907.

Hitler had a normal education and showed no special talents as a young man. He wanted to study art and moved to Vienna after his mother's death, hoping to be accepted to art school, but was rejected for lack of talent. Hitler then dropped out of secondary school and continued to focus on his art. He began selling his artwork and became interested in politics.

Hitler was born and raised in Austria, but he moved to Germany in 1913 and volunteered to serve in the German Army at the start of World War I. He was decorated during his service in the German Army in World War I, receiving the Iron Cross. After the war, he joined the German Workers' Party (which later became the Nazi Party) in 1919 and became its leader in 1921.

He was the son of a local customs official and his much younger third wife

Adolf Hitler was indeed Austrian by birth, born in Braunau am Inn, a small town in the province of Upper Austria, near the German border. His father, Alois Hitler, was a customs official, and his mother, Klara Pölzl, was his father's third wife and much younger.

Alois was 51 when Adolf, his fourth child, was born, while Klara was only 25. She was his father's third wife, and they had a large age gap between them. Alois had been married twice before, and he already had a son, also named Alois, from his second marriage. When Adolf was three, his father retired, and the family moved to Hafeld, near Vienna, and later to Lambach.

Alois had begun his career as a customs officer in 1877 and had risen through the ranks to become a financial officer for the state, a position that provided a comfortable income for his family. However, he was also known for his strict and often violent discipline, which young Adolf experienced firsthand. Alois had wanted his son to pursue a career in the civil service, but Adolf rebelled, showing a strong interest in art from an early age.

Klara, Adolf's mother, was a quiet, devoutly Catholic woman who was deeply devoted to her son. She allowed him to pursue his artistic interests and was the primary source of affection and support in his early life. Young Adolf was close to his mother, and her death in 1907, when he was just 18, affected him deeply. After her death, Adolf's father retired to their home in Austria, where he later died in 1903.

Growing up in a relatively comfortable environment, Adolf received a good education and attended a Realschule (secondary school) in Linz, where he excelled in art and history but struggled with other subjects. It was during his time in Linz that he developed a deep love for German culture and nationalism, which would later become a central tenet of his political ideology.

Hitler's father was illegitimate and his mother died of cancer when he was 17

Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary, on 20 April 1889. He was the fourth of six children born to Alois Hitler and his third wife, Klara. Hitler's father, Alois, was the illegitimate child of Maria Schicklgruber. The baptismal register did not show the name of his father, and Alois initially bore his mother's surname, "Schicklgruber". In 1842, Johann Georg Hiedler married Alois's mother. Alois was brought up in the family of Hiedler's brother, Johann Nepomuk Hiedler. In 1876, Alois was made legitimate and his baptismal record was annotated by a priest to register Johann Georg Hiedler as Alois's father (recorded as "Georg Hitler"). Alois then assumed the surname "Hitler", also spelled "Hiedler", "Hüttler", or "Huettler".

Hitler's mother, Klara, was born in the Austrian Empire village of Weitra. She was a quiet, sweet, and affectionate person who was very devoted to her children. She was a devout Roman Catholic and attended church regularly with her children. She was also a typical stepmother to her stepchildren, Alois, Jr., and Angela, from Alois' second marriage.

Hitler's father, Alois, had little interest in child-rearing and left it to his wife, Klara. He was often home with his family but spent most of his time at the local tavern or busy with his hobby, beekeeping. He frequently beat his son, although Klara tried to protect Hitler from regular beatings. Hitler's father wanted him to follow in his footsteps and pursue a career in the civil service. However, Hitler refused and his relationship with his father became strained.

Klara Hitler was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1907 and underwent a mastectomy. Despite treatment, her condition worsened, and she died on 21 December 1907, when Hitler was 18 years old. Hitler was devastated by his mother's death and carried the grief for the rest of his life. He moved to Vienna shortly after and lived a bohemian life in homeless shelters and dormitories. He pursued his passion for art and architecture and often attended the opera. During his time in Vienna, he was exposed to racist rhetoric and developed anti-Semitic sentiments.

Hitler was a regular visitor to a Jewish family's home in Vienna

Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria, in 1889. He moved to Vienna in 1908, after the death of his mother, Klara Hitler, and lived there until 1913. During his time in Vienna, Hitler pursued his passion for art and architecture and made a living by selling watercolour paintings of the city's sights and landmarks.

Hitler was exposed to racist and antisemitic rhetoric during his time in Vienna, where prejudice against Jews was widespread. He was influenced by the antisemitic mayor of Vienna, Karl Lueger, who was regularly re-elected on a virulently antisemitic platform. Hitler also read antisemitic literature that was widely available in the city. Despite this, Hitler was a regular visitor to at least one Jewish family's home in Vienna, and his efforts to support himself by selling paintings were made possible by Jewish art dealers.

It is unclear when Hitler's antisemitism became a central part of his ideology. Historians disagree on the origin and development of his antisemitic views, with some claiming that he was already a ""confirmed anti-Semite" before he left his hometown of Linz, and others arguing that his notorious murderous antisemitism emerged after World War I. Hitler himself claimed in his autobiography, "Mein Kampf", that his antisemitism developed during his time in Vienna. However, this claim has been disputed.

He was injured twice in World War I and was awarded medals for bravery

Adolf Hitler was injured twice during World War I and was awarded medals for bravery.

On October 15, 1918, Hitler was temporarily blinded and lost his voice due to a British mustard gas attack. He was hospitalised in Pasewalk, Pomerania, where he learned of Germany's defeat. By his own account, Hitler suffered a second bout of blindness upon receiving this news.

During the Battle of the Somme in October 1916, Hitler sustained a wound to his left thigh when a shell exploded at the entrance to the dispatch runners' dugout. He was evacuated to the Red Cross hospital at Beelitz in Brandenburg, where he spent nearly two months recovering.

Hitler was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class in 1914 and the Iron Cross First Class in 1918. The latter honour was rarely given to a lance corporal. Hitler also received the Wound Badge in Black on May 18, 1918.

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