Did Hitler murder his niece? Historian questions Nazi leader's alibi over mysterious gunshot death of his 23-year-old relative
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By PATRICK HARRINGTON, UK NEWS REPORTER
Published: | Updated:
Rumours have long swirled that Adolf Hitler was sexually involved with his niece before her death at just 23.
For 95 years, it has been believed Geli Raubal shot herself in the chest - escaping a miserable existence in which her uncle controlled her every move.
But now, historians are wondering if Hitler's abuse extended even further - and culminated in firing the fatal bullet in Munich in 1931.
Such suspicions have previously been dismissed by the Führer's alibi, which placed him in Nuremberg on the day of Geli's death, two years before he came to power.
German historian Harald Sandner, however, claims to have uncovered a 'crushing mass' of evidence showing Hitler was actually at the scene.
The official account says that a servant discovered Geli's body on the floor of her bedroom in Hitler's Munich apartment on September 19, which was a Saturday.
Hitler had left the city on Friday afternoon for Nuremberg - so was seemingly out of the picture - and police in any case did not conduct a post-mortem. The death was ruled a suicide.
Based on his recent discoveries, Mr Sandner disputes this timeline.
Hitler strictly controlled the life of his niece, Geli Raubal, and is rumoured to have had a sexual relationship with her
Geli's death at the age of 23 in 1931 was ruled a suicide, but now a historian claims to have uncovered evidence suggesting Hitler could have killed her
He claims to have found a death certificate showing the young German's body was found 24 hours earlier than previously believed.
Sandner told The Telegraph: 'Since the body was already indisputably in the flat at that point, the actual time of death must logically have been much earlier – either in the early hours of Sept 18 or even as early as the night before.'
He said the date and time on the document 'completely contradict the official, 95-year-old narrative put forward by the Bavarian judiciary and the NSDAP [the Nazi party]'.
The historian speculated that the Munich police could have conspired with Hitler to cover up the truth and brush Geli's death under the carpet.
The exact nature of the relationship Hitler had with his niece has been a subject of much debate - even at the time.
It is well documented that she lived with him in close quarters from the age of 17 until her death, and that he controlled her closely.
As Hitler climbed the ranks of the Nazi party, he became increasingly possessive over his niece - restricting her movements and banning her from having relationships.
He once discovered she had struck up a romance with his chauffeur, Emil Maurice, but swiftly forced her to end things and dismissed the driver.
After that, she was not allowed to leave the house without being chaperoned by himself or one of his associates.
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