History of Sorts

Heinz (Heinrich) Hitler, born on March 14, 1920, was Adolf Hitler’s nephew. His father, Alois Hitler Jr., was Adolf’s half-brother, making Heinz a direct relative of the infamous dictator. Unlike other members of the Hitler family who either distanced themselves or did not support Adolf Hitler’s regime, Heinz embraced his uncle’s ideology.

Heinz joined the Wehrmacht and served as an officer. He fought on the Eastern Front during World War II. In 1942, the Soviet forces captured him. They sent Heinz to the Butyrka military prison in Moscow, where he died from wounds sustained during torture on February 21, 1942.

Heinz’s life is a stark contrast to some of Adolf Hitler’s other relatives who actively tried to disassociate from the Nazi regime, illustrating the complex and varied responses within Hitler’s family to his rise and reign. Like his half-brother William Patrick Hitler, aka William Patrick Stuart-Houston, who joined the US Navy to fight his uncle, although he also had ulterior motives. He was born and raised in the Toxteth area of Liverpool to Adolf’s half-brother, Alois Hitler Jr., and his Irish wife, Bridget Dowling.

Reports indicate that Heinz was subjected to intense interrogation and torture by the Soviet secret police (NKVD). He did not survive his imprisonment and died on February 21, 1942.