Johann Nepomuk Hiedler

Johann Nepomuk Hiedler, also known as Johann Nepomuk Hüttler (March 19, 1807 – September 17, 1888), was a maternal great-grandfather and possibly also the paternal grandfather of Adolf Hitler.

Johann Nepomuk was named after a Czech Saint Johann von Nepomuk. Some view this name as evidence that Johann Nepomuk and subsequently his great-grandson Adolf Hitler had some Czech blood.

Johann Nepomuk became a relatively prosperous farmer and was married to Eva Maria Decker (1792-1888) who was fifteen years his senior. Legally, he was the step-uncle of Alois Schicklgruber (later Alois Hitler), the stepson of his brother Johann Georg Hiedler.

For reasons unknown Johann Nepomuk took in Alois when he was a boy and raised him. It is possible that he was, in fact, Alois' natural father but could not acknowledge this publicly due to his marriage. In any case, Johann Nepomuk left Alois a considerable portion of his life savings. Johann Nepomuk's granddaughter, Klara had a longstanding affair with Alois before marrying him in 1885 after the death of his second wife. In 1889 she gave birth to Adolf Hitler.

Literature

* Marc Vermeeren. "De jeugd van Adolf Hitler 1889-1907 en zijn familie en voorouders". Soesterberg, 2007, 420 blz. Uitgeverij Aspekt. ISBN 90-5911-606-2.