Adolf Hitler's Early Biography, 1889-1907 (back to top) 1837 : Adolf's father Alois is born to an unmarried 42-year-old woman, Maria Schicklgruber.

: Adolf's father Alois is born to an unmarried 42-year-old woman, Maria Schicklgruber. 1842 : Maria Schicklgruber marries Georg Hiedler, who does not adopt her 5-year-old son Alois. In 1876 (see below), 19 years after Georg's death in 1857, Alois himself and Georg's younger brother Nepomuk will swear that Georg was Alois's biological father. We don't know why Alois's presumptive father Georg didn't recognize paternity during his lifetime. Perhaps Nepomuk was actually Alois's father, but then he could have accepted paternity himself. In any case:

: Maria Schicklgruber marries Georg Hiedler, who does not adopt her 5-year-old son Alois. 1840s : Alois grows up in Nepomuk Hiedler's household. Nepomuk has daughters Johanna, 7 years older than Alois, and Walburga. (Johanna will later be Adolf's aunt "Hanitante.") 1847 : Adolf's grandmother Maria Schicklgruber dies at age 52.

[is this when Alois moves to Nepomuk's household?]

: Alois grows up in Nepomuk Hiedler's household. Nepomuk has daughters Johanna, 7 years older than Alois, and Walburga. (Johanna will later be Adolf's aunt "Hanitante.") 1857 : Georg Hiedler dies at age 65.

: Georg Hiedler dies at age 65. 1860 : Nepomuk Hiedler's daughter Johanna's first daughter, Klara, is born--future mother of Adolf. In 1884, at age 24, Klara Pölzl will marry her uncle (or cousin), Alois, who grew up with Klara's mother as his older sister.

: Nepomuk Hiedler's daughter Johanna's first daughter, Klara, is born--future mother of Adolf. In 1884, at age 24, Klara Pölzl will marry her uncle (or cousin), Alois, who grew up with Klara's mother as his older sister. 1873 : Hitler's future father, 36-year-old Alois Schickelgruber, marries 50-year-old Anna Glassl.

: Hitler's future father, 36-year-old Alois Schickelgruber, marries 50-year-old Anna Glassl. 1876 : Alois, now 39, gets a father, a new last name, and a future inheritance from his nominal uncle: Nepomuk and two witnesses have the parish priest write Nepomuk's brother Georg Hiedler's name in Alois's birth register entry as his biological father. Henceforth Alois takes the last name Hitler (an alternate spelling).

That same year 16-year-old Klara Pölzl, Alois's second cousin (or niece, if Nepomuk was actually Alois's father), began to work in the household of aging Anna and younger Alois Hitler. In the late 1870s Anna was ill, and Alois was conducting an affair with a maid at the Gasthaus where the Hitlers lived. The maid, Franziska "Fanni" Matzelberger, was a year younger than Alois's personal maid Klara.

: Alois, now 39, gets a father, a new last name, and a future inheritance from his nominal uncle: Nepomuk and two witnesses have the parish priest write Nepomuk's brother Georg Hiedler's name in Alois's birth register entry as his biological father. Henceforth Alois takes the last name Hitler (an alternate spelling). That same year 16-year-old Klara Pölzl, Alois's second cousin (or niece, if Nepomuk was actually Alois's father), began to work in the household of aging Anna and younger Alois Hitler. In the late 1870s Anna was ill, and Alois was conducting an affair with a maid at the Gasthaus where the Hitlers lived. The maid, Franziska "Fanni" Matzelberger, was a year younger than Alois's personal maid Klara. 1880 , Sept: Anna, aware of Alois's affair, obtained a legal separation. Alois now lived openly with Fanni, who immediately released Klara (a potential rival for Alois's affections) from the household. Fanni bore Alois a son, Alois jr., in 1882.

, Sept: Anna, aware of Alois's affair, obtained a legal separation. Alois now lived openly with Fanni, who immediately released Klara (a potential rival for Alois's affections) from the household. Fanni bore Alois a son, Alois jr., in 1882. 1883 : Anna Hitler dies; 6 weeks later Alois (46) and Fanni (22) marry. Their second child, Angela, is born that year. (In 1908 this half-sister of the yet-to-be-born Adolf will bear a daughter, Angela jr ["Geli"], who will become Adolf's heartthrob in Munich in the late 1920s.)

: Anna Hitler dies; 6 weeks later Alois (46) and Fanni (22) marry. Their second child, Angela, is born that year. (In 1908 this half-sister of the yet-to-be-born Adolf will bear a daughter, Angela jr ["Geli"], who will become Adolf's heartthrob in Munich in the late 1920s.) 1884 : Fanni falls ill with tuberculosis and dies in August at age 23. Klara Pölzl takes care of the children. She becomes pregnant shortly after Fanni's death (Gustav is born in May 1885).

: Fanni falls ill with tuberculosis and dies in August at age 23. Klara Pölzl takes care of the children. She becomes pregnant shortly after Fanni's death (Gustav is born in May 1885). 1885 , Jan.: the future Adolf Hitler's 47-year-old father Alois marries for the third time. His bride is 24 years old and either his uncle's or his father's granddaughter (depending on which of the brothers Georg or Nepomuk was Alois's biological father), thus either Alois's second cousin or niece. 1885, May: Alois and Klara's first child, Gustav, is born.

, Jan.: the future Adolf Hitler's 47-year-old father Alois marries for the third time. His bride is 24 years old and either his uncle's or his father's granddaughter (depending on which of the brothers Georg or Nepomuk was Alois's biological father), thus either Alois's second cousin or niece. 1886 , Sept: their second child, Ida, is born.

, Sept: their second child, Ida, is born. 1887 : their third child, Otto, is born (in the fall?) and dies shortly thereafter; in December 2 1/2-year-old Gustav dies of diptheria.

: their third child, Otto, is born (in the fall?) and dies shortly thereafter; in December 2 1/2-year-old Gustav dies of diptheria. 1888 , Jan.: 15-month-old Ida dies of diptheria; in July 28-year-old Klara conceives again.

, Jan.: 15-month-old Ida dies of diptheria; in July 28-year-old Klara conceives again. 1889 , April: Alois and Klara's fourth child, Adolf, is born.

, April: Alois and Klara's fourth child, Adolf, is born. 1892 : the Hitler family moves from Braunau to the German-Austrian border town of Passau

: the Hitler family moves from Braunau to the German-Austrian border town of Passau 1894 , Apr.: Adolf Hitler's father moves to Linz; a 4th child, Edmund, is born (in 1900 he dies of measles at age 6)

, Apr.: Adolf Hitler's father moves to Linz; a 4th child, Edmund, is born (in 1900 he dies of measles at age 6) 1895 , Apr.: father Alois retires and the Hitler family moves to Fischlham, near Lambach, near Linz. Adolf starts school in Fischlham on May 1. Alois junior, Adolf's 13-year-old half brother by his father's 2nd wife Fanni, leaves the household.

, Apr.: father Alois retires and the Hitler family moves to Fischlham, near Lambach, near Linz. Adolf starts school in Fischlham on May 1. Alois junior, Adolf's 13-year-old half brother by his father's 2nd wife Fanni, leaves the household. 1896 : Alois and Klara's fifth child, Paula, is born. In the 1930s she takes the name Paula Wolf and moves to Germany, where she lives near Munich. She never marries or has children, and dies in 1960, aged 64.

: Alois and Klara's fifth child, Paula, is born. In the 1930s she takes the name Paula Wolf and moves to Germany, where she lives near Munich. She never marries or has children, and dies in 1960, aged 64. 1897 : Alois sells the Fischlham farm and moves the family temporarily to Lambach. Adolf took singing lessons at the local monastery.

: Alois sells the Fischlham farm and moves the family temporarily to Lambach. Adolf took singing lessons at the local monastery. 1898 , Nov.: the Hitler family moves to Leonding, a village just outside of Linz.

, Nov.: the Hitler family moves to Leonding, a village just outside of Linz. 1900 : 11-year-old Adolf's 6-year-old brother Edmund dies of measles. In September Adolf begins the more scientifically-oriented Realschule type of secondary school, not the academic-track Gymnasium. His grades until he drops out in 1905 are consistently mediocre to poor. Adolf relationship to his father, who wants the boy to become a civil servant, deteriorates.

: 11-year-old Adolf's 6-year-old brother Edmund dies of measles. In September Adolf begins the more scientifically-oriented Realschule type of secondary school, not the academic-track Gymnasium. His grades until he drops out in 1905 are consistently mediocre to poor. Adolf relationship to his father, who wants the boy to become a civil servant, deteriorates. 1903 : father Alois Hitler dies at age 66.

Klara Hitler's younger sister Johanna Pölzl ("Hanitante") lives with the Hitler family.

: father Alois Hitler dies at age 66. Klara Hitler's younger sister Johanna Pölzl ("Hanitante") lives with the Hitler family. 1905 : Adolf drops out of the Realschule (high school) without a diploma. He lives comfortably in his own room in an apartment in the Humboldtstrasse in Linz, with his mother, aunt and sister to take care of the household. He reads, draws, paints, attends opera and theater, takes piano lessons for 4 months at the end of 1906. In the fall of 1905 Adolf meets August "Gustl" Kubizek by chance at a Wagner opera in Linz. They become fast friends.

: Adolf drops out of the Realschule (high school) without a diploma. He lives comfortably in his own room in an apartment in the Humboldtstrasse in Linz, with his mother, aunt and sister to take care of the household. He reads, draws, paints, attends opera and theater, takes piano lessons for 4 months at the end of 1906. In the fall of 1905 Adolf meets August "Gustl" Kubizek by chance at a Wagner opera in Linz. They become fast friends. 1907 , Jan.: Adolf's mother is operated on for breast cancer. In early Sept. Adolf, with a 924 crown loan (about the annual earnings of a teacher) from his aunt Johanna, goes to Vienna to take the entrance examination at the Academy of Fine Arts. (The loan was not repaid before Joanna died in 1911.) Adolf's drawings place him among the 113 (of 146) admitted to the drawing exam itself, but his examiners (none of them Jewish) think what he draws there might qualify him as an architect, but not as a painter. He is not among the 28 aspiring artists admitted that year. Adolf returns to Linz, where in December his 47-year-old mother dies of breast cancer. He is disconsolate, having had a very close relationship to her.

Adolf and Paula both receive a 25 crown/month orphan's pension, as well as about 1000 crowns each inheritance from their mother. (Only when they turn 24 will they receive their father's civil service pension.) Eleven-year-old Paula goes to live with their 24-year-old, just-pregnant half sister Angela and her husband.

, Jan.: Adolf's mother is operated on for breast cancer. In early Sept. Adolf, with a 924 crown loan (about the annual earnings of a teacher) from his aunt Johanna, goes to Vienna to take the entrance examination at the Academy of Fine Arts. (The loan was not repaid before Joanna died in 1911.) Adolf's drawings place him among the 113 (of 146) admitted to the drawing exam itself, but his examiners (none of them Jewish) think what he draws there might qualify him as an architect, but not as a painter. He is not among the 28 aspiring artists admitted that year. Adolf returns to Linz, where in December his 47-year-old mother dies of breast cancer. He is disconsolate, having had a very close relationship to her. Adolf and Paula both receive a 25 crown/month orphan's pension, as well as about 1000 crowns each inheritance from their mother. (Only when they turn 24 will they receive their father's civil service pension.) Eleven-year-old Paula goes to live with their 24-year-old, just-pregnant half sister Angela and her husband. 1908 , February: Adolf returns to Vienna, where he lives in the room near the Westbahnhof that he had rented the previous fall. Having persuaded Kubizek's parents to let their son pursue music studies in Vienna, Adolf writes urgent postcards to Gustl, begging him to come to Vienna soon.

, February: Adolf returns to Vienna, where he lives in the room near the Westbahnhof that he had rented the previous fall. Having persuaded Kubizek's parents to let their son pursue music studies in Vienna, Adolf writes urgent postcards to Gustl, begging him to come to Vienna soon. ...

1918 , October 15: Hitler was admitted to a field hospital after being temporarily blinded by a poison gas attack. See John Singer Sargent's 1918 painting "Gassed" for an illustration of what soldiers did in the aftermath of such attacks. Hitler's reaction to the gas went beyond the physiological, and he was sent from the Belgian field hospital in Pasewalk for treatment of "hysterical" blindness. A specialist tried hypnosis to break the hysteria. One of the main sources for this incident is Dr. Karl Kroner's 1943 report to an OSS officer in Reykjavik, Iceland.

, October 15: Hitler was admitted to a field hospital after being temporarily blinded by a poison gas attack. See John Singer Sargent's 1918 painting "Gassed" for an illustration of what soldiers did in the aftermath of such attacks. Hitler's reaction to the gas went beyond the physiological, and he was sent from the Belgian field hospital in Pasewalk for treatment of "hysterical" blindness. A specialist tried hypnosis to break the hysteria. One of the main sources for this incident is Dr. Karl Kroner's 1943 report to an OSS officer in Reykjavik, Iceland. 1919 Sept. 19: Hitler's first written statement on Jews, in a Sept. 19, 1919 letter he wrote for the army propaganda division he was working for. Oct. 16: Hitler was the second speaker (after Erich Kühn) at a meeting of the DAP. This was the first meeting announced by an ad in the Völkischer Beobachter; 111 attended [Auerbach 1977, 11]. Auerbach sees this as Hitler's first success connecting with the public, and as the date at which he decided to get into politics, as a keynote speaker (Werberedner).

1920 Spring: Hitler accompanies Mayr to meetings of the Eiserne Faust, where he meets Ernst Röhm. August 13: Hitler gives a "fundamental" speech about antisemitism in the Hofbräuhaus. See: Reginald H. Phelps, "Hitlers 'grundlegende' Rede über den Antisemitismus," VfZ 16 (1968), 390-420.

1921 January 1-end of May: Hitler writes page 1 commentaries in the Völkischer Beobachter [Auerbach 1977, 25] February 3: 6000 people attend the first real mass rally of the NSDAP in the Zirkus Krone [Deuerlein, Hitler Putsch , 37; Toland, 109]

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1940 Charlie Chaplin's film The Great Dictator debuts in the US

See this Oct. 12, 2010 Die Welt article "Wie sich Chaplin von Hitler den Bart zurückeroberte" for details. (2 copies were obtained by Hitler's Chancellory.)

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1957 Franz Jetzinger's take on Hitler's childhood and youth appears--Jetzinger directs much venom against August Kubizek, with whom he had worked on a biography, but who then published it independently in 1953. (1957 Der Spiegel review of Jetzinger) .

