Johann Nepomuk Hiedler

Johann Nepomuk Hiedler, also known as Johann Nepomuk Hüttler (19 March 1807 – 17 September 1888), was a maternal great-grandfather[1] and possibly also the paternal grandfather of Adolf Hitler.[2][3]

Johann Nepomuk Hiedler
Born	19 March 1807 Weitra, Austrian Empire
Died	17 September 1888 (aged 81) Weitra, Austria Hungary
Nationality	Austrian
Other names	Johann Nepomuk Hüttler

Johann Nepomuk Hiedler was born to Martin Hiedler (1762–1829) and Anna Maria Göschl (1760–1854).[4] His first two names are the same as the name of the Bohemian Saint Johann von Nepomuk. Some consider this name as evidence that Nepomuk (and therefore his great-grandson Adolf Hitler) had Czech ancestry. However, Johann von Pomuk/Johann Nepomuk, was an important saint for Bohemians of both Czech and German ethnicity. Nepomuk thus may only indicate an association with Bohemia in general, or to someone else named Johann Nepomuk.

Nepomuk became a relatively prosperous farmer and was married to Eva Maria Decker (1792–1873) who was fifteen years his senior. On 19 January 1830, Eva Hiedler gave birth to Johanna. Legally, he was the stepuncle of Alois Schicklgruber (later Alois Hitler), who was the stepson of his brother Johann Georg Hiedler, an itinerant miller who may in fact have been Alois' natural father.

Johann Nepomuk informally adopted Alois during Alois' childhood. It is possible that he was, in fact, Alois' natural father but could not acknowledge this publicly due to his marriage. Another, and perhaps simpler, explanation for this kindness is simply that Nepomuk pitied the ten-year-old Alois, as Alois' stepfather's occupation was itinerant and his mother Maria died when Alois was 9 years old.

Nepomuk willed Alois a considerable portion of his life savings. Nepomuk's granddaughter, Klara, had a protracted affair with Alois before marrying him in 1885 after the death of Alois' second wife. In 1889 she gave birth to Adolf Hitler.

See also

• Hitler family

References

1. Adolf Hitler's mother was Klara, and Klara's mother was Johanna. Johanna and her sister Walburga were the children of Johann Nepomuk and his wife, Eva Maria Decker Hiedler.
2. 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.
3. See the Hitler family trees (online and others) shown and cited in article on Johann Georg Hiedler.
4. See, e.g., Adolf Hitler's online family tree at about.com, Online Family Tree. Family trees can also be found in various Hitler biographies; see, e.g., Toland, pp. 10–11; Kershaw, p. 5.