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Hitlers Vater: Wie der Sohn zum Diktator wurde
Ein spektakulärer Quellenfund änderte radikal das Bild, das wir uns bislang über Adolf Hitlers Vater Alois und die Familie Hitler gemacht haben: ein dickes Bündel vergilbter Briefe des Vaters in gestochener Kurrentschrift, das sich auf einem Dachboden über den Kahlschlag der NS-Zeit hinwegrettete und das dem Historiker Roman Sandgruber in die Hände fiel.
Die 31 Briefe eröffnen einen völlig neuen und genaueren Blick auf die väterliche Persönlichkeit, die den jungen Adolf Hitler maßgeblich prägte. Und bringen etwas Licht ins Dunkel des von Mythen, Erfindungen und Vermutungen geprägten Alltags der Familie Hitler. Denn immer noch, und immer wieder bewegt uns die Frage: Wie konnte ein Kind aus der oberösterrreichischen Provinz, ein Versager und Autodidakt, einen derartigen Aufstieg schaffen?
Die 31 Briefe eröffnen einen völlig neuen und genaueren Blick auf die väterliche Persönlichkeit, die den jungen Adolf Hitler maßgeblich prägte. Und bringen etwas Licht ins Dunkel des von Mythen, Erfindungen und Vermutungen geprägten Alltags der Familie Hitler. Denn immer noch, und immer wieder bewegt uns die Frage: Wie konnte ein Kind aus der oberösterrreichischen Provinz, ein Versager und Autodidakt, einen derartigen Aufstieg schaffen?
272 pages, Hardcover
First published February 18, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
March 10, 2021
Der "Titel" des Buches gehört zu den wenigen Kritikpunkten, die ich zu dem Werk von Roman Sandgruber vorzutragen habe. Es ist schon eine vermessene Behauptung, seine ausgezeichneten Arbeit unter eine solche allumfassende Aussage zu stellen. Richtig ist aber, dass Herr Professor :-) in ausgezeichneter wissenschaftlicher Arbeitsweise (u.a. Quellentreue) wirklich den Fächer der Betrachtung ganz weit aufgemacht hat und dabei stilistisch die Lesbarkeit seiner Ausführungen hervorragend aufrecht erhält. Das Leben von Alois Hitler, dessen Einordnung in Zeit und Raum der Österreichisch/Deutschen zeitgenössischen Schwerpunktthemen und Konflikte (K&K, Sprachenkonflikt, Katholizismus, Vielvölkerstaat etc.), die Bedeutung seiner beruflichen Entwicklung (Zöllner) und seines wirtschaftlichen "Lebenskampfs, wird sehr interessant dargestellt und deren Auswirkungen auf die Persönlichkeits- und Charakterbildung des jungen Adolfs hergeleitet.
Sehr angenehm ist die freundliche Einordnung seiner Thesen in die Diskussion der aktuellen Forschung und sein deutlicher Verzicht auf "Allwissenheit". Sandgruber benennt Unklarheiten in der Forschung eindeutig und übertüncht seine Aussagen nicht mit dem wahrscheinlich Möglichem; er benennt ganz eindeutig die Beweis- und Forschungslücken und schließt sie nicht mit Vermutungen.
Für alle, die sich mit der Person Hitlers beschäftigen, ist dieses Buch eine uneingeschränkte Leseempfehlung. Ob die detaillierte Darstellung der jeweiligen Grundlagen der einzelnen Immobilienfinanzierung Alois Hitlers für den nicht akademisch arbeitenden Hobbyhistoriker wirklich erhellend sind, überlasse ich in der Beurteilung den anderen Lesern und Leserinnen
Sehr angenehm ist die freundliche Einordnung seiner Thesen in die Diskussion der aktuellen Forschung und sein deutlicher Verzicht auf "Allwissenheit". Sandgruber benennt Unklarheiten in der Forschung eindeutig und übertüncht seine Aussagen nicht mit dem wahrscheinlich Möglichem; er benennt ganz eindeutig die Beweis- und Forschungslücken und schließt sie nicht mit Vermutungen.
Für alle, die sich mit der Person Hitlers beschäftigen, ist dieses Buch eine uneingeschränkte Leseempfehlung. Ob die detaillierte Darstellung der jeweiligen Grundlagen der einzelnen Immobilienfinanzierung Alois Hitlers für den nicht akademisch arbeitenden Hobbyhistoriker wirklich erhellend sind, überlasse ich in der Beurteilung den anderen Lesern und Leserinnen
November 5, 2022
This book is more suited for Hitler scholars than someone mainly interested in Hitler's relationship with his father. It's not difficult to understand, but it's one fact after another about Alois Hitler and the rest of Hitler's relatives. I tried to stick with it, but started skimming and then gave up. I wasn't that interested. Thus, three stars for a neutral rating, since I did not finish the book.
(Note: I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.)
(Note: I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.)
March 15, 2023
Ive long wondered the familial background and parent figures in Hitler’s life for him to end up who he was and what he did. This book was fascinating and intriguing, intricately researched, perfect level of historical detail. A great read.
September 24, 2025
Roman Sandgruber's book Hitler's Father, as its title suggests, purports to be the first dedicated biography of Alois Hitler (né Schicklgruber), but we all know whose spectre dominates the pages. The book continues for a number of chapters after Alois' death, covering the death of Klara, Adolf's mother, and the young Adolf's development as a teenager. The book can more accurately be described as another history of the young Adolf Hitler, delving as deep as his grandparents' generation as books on the young Hitler often do.
Sandgruber's selling point, as the book's subtitle Hidden Letters suggests, is the recent discovery of a cache of Alois Hitler's letters in an attic, and Sandgruber's analysis of these is incorporated into his biography/history. In truth, these are of limited academic value, being mostly business correspondence with little revealed of Alois' personality or family matters. They are further shafts of light onto a part of history that remains partly shrouded in mystery (in no small part due to the Nazis' successful erasure of much of the evidence of Hitler's family record during his time in power) but they're also no more than colour to the already-known facts of young Hitler. For its part, Sandgruber's book is one of the more comprehensive accounts on this topic that I've come across, and would be recommended even if it did not have those letters from Alois (some of which are reproduced in their entirety, somewhat unnecessarily).
Where Sandgruber's book was less successful was with its thesis. As the book's sub-subtitle, Why the Son Became a Dictator, suggests, Sandgruber argues that the events and influences of Hitler's youth substantially contributed to the evil dictator he later became, the "important key" for understanding the Führer's mind (pg. 4). But the argument itself is made only sporadically in Sandgruber's book, and with all due respect to the author's academic integrity may well have been an angle by which to garner the book attention and sales than a genuine argument. While everyone's youth influences the adult they become, I was less convinced by this than by the thesis of Bradley F. Smith's 1967 book on Hitler's youth, which argues the later years of Vienna and World War One made the Hitler who dragged the world into hell, rather than any influence of Alois or Klara. While Sandgruber does make some good points, not least the disturbing foreshadowing of the later Final Solution in the discussion among early 1900s German ethno-nationalists about 'the Jewish question' and the idea that gypsies should be marked with tattooed numbers (pp227-8), it is an unemphatic thesis.
In light of this, Sandgruber's book can be highly recommended on the topic of Hitler's youth pre-Vienna, gathering as it does a sizeable amount of up-to-date primary research and providing a comprehensive approach to presenting it. But it will not be the last word on the subject.
Sandgruber's selling point, as the book's subtitle Hidden Letters suggests, is the recent discovery of a cache of Alois Hitler's letters in an attic, and Sandgruber's analysis of these is incorporated into his biography/history. In truth, these are of limited academic value, being mostly business correspondence with little revealed of Alois' personality or family matters. They are further shafts of light onto a part of history that remains partly shrouded in mystery (in no small part due to the Nazis' successful erasure of much of the evidence of Hitler's family record during his time in power) but they're also no more than colour to the already-known facts of young Hitler. For its part, Sandgruber's book is one of the more comprehensive accounts on this topic that I've come across, and would be recommended even if it did not have those letters from Alois (some of which are reproduced in their entirety, somewhat unnecessarily).
Where Sandgruber's book was less successful was with its thesis. As the book's sub-subtitle, Why the Son Became a Dictator, suggests, Sandgruber argues that the events and influences of Hitler's youth substantially contributed to the evil dictator he later became, the "important key" for understanding the Führer's mind (pg. 4). But the argument itself is made only sporadically in Sandgruber's book, and with all due respect to the author's academic integrity may well have been an angle by which to garner the book attention and sales than a genuine argument. While everyone's youth influences the adult they become, I was less convinced by this than by the thesis of Bradley F. Smith's 1967 book on Hitler's youth, which argues the later years of Vienna and World War One made the Hitler who dragged the world into hell, rather than any influence of Alois or Klara. While Sandgruber does make some good points, not least the disturbing foreshadowing of the later Final Solution in the discussion among early 1900s German ethno-nationalists about 'the Jewish question' and the idea that gypsies should be marked with tattooed numbers (pp227-8), it is an unemphatic thesis.
In light of this, Sandgruber's book can be highly recommended on the topic of Hitler's youth pre-Vienna, gathering as it does a sizeable amount of up-to-date primary research and providing a comprehensive approach to presenting it. But it will not be the last word on the subject.
September 25, 2022
A previously unknown cache of letters written by Alois Hitler, Adolf Hitler’s father, were found not long ago in an attic. Basing his biography around these letters, and using them as a stepping-stone to further extensive research, Austrian historian Roman Sandgruber has written a fascinating biography of the man, at the same time painting a portrait of the place and time in which the young Adolf grew up. He examines Alois’ character and speculates on his influence on his son. Admittedly the letters are purely business ones, so not much can be gleaned from them about the personality of the man, and although very little has been discovered about Alois up to now, Sandgruber’s meticulous research has uncovered a wealth of other material, all of which he seems to have incorporated into this detailed account, even when sometimes the details are not necessarily pertinent. It seems he didn’t want to leave anything out, which makes the reading heavy-going at times. The book gives a rare glimpse into Adolf Hitler’s early life and upbringing, although there were times I felt the author was extrapolating and speculating a bit too much without real evidence. Many photographs enhance the text. Stylistically I found it a sometimes jarring read and it wasn’t clear to me whether this was the final copy or whether I was reading an uncorrected ARC, or who had translated it. It certainly needs a final edit as the language is often clumsy with some very odd vocabulary. Perhaps this will all be corrected at some point. So overall a more than competent but rather flawed biography, which I read with great interest in spite of some quibbles. Not least that the book definitely doesn’t explain why the son became a dictator as the sub-title claims.
January 24, 2023
There are not many primary sources available as it comes to the early life of Adolf Hitler or that of his family. And why would there be? The Hitlers were just common people, not worth a footnote in history.
All that changed of course when Adolf rose to power. The reconstruction of his youth started 30 years after the facts so one could question the validity of it since the eyewitnesses were not only struggling with memories blurred by time, they were most likely also altering the facts to make Hitler look either better or worse, depending on their own bias. The fact that Hitler himself was lying about his past also didn't help.
I would be very cautious with those accounts. Many historians however were too eager to portray Hitler as a loser and by that they embraced dodgy stories as long as they served the purpose.
Sandgruber is a rare exception. In his book he tries to reconstruct the life of Alois Hitler and his family, based on the scarce sources available. While at times maybe a bit too dry, (t)his story is the closest thing to objective writing I've come across so far. At no point does he draw conclusions when there is no evidence to support it, much unlike fellow historian Thomas Weber. On the contrary, he often debunks the 'findings' of others, (for instance the connection between Wittgenstein and Hitler) which makes this book so interesting.
I know it's not the easiest book to read, but the attempt to be objective is just a breath of fresh air.
All that changed of course when Adolf rose to power. The reconstruction of his youth started 30 years after the facts so one could question the validity of it since the eyewitnesses were not only struggling with memories blurred by time, they were most likely also altering the facts to make Hitler look either better or worse, depending on their own bias. The fact that Hitler himself was lying about his past also didn't help.
I would be very cautious with those accounts. Many historians however were too eager to portray Hitler as a loser and by that they embraced dodgy stories as long as they served the purpose.
Sandgruber is a rare exception. In his book he tries to reconstruct the life of Alois Hitler and his family, based on the scarce sources available. While at times maybe a bit too dry, (t)his story is the closest thing to objective writing I've come across so far. At no point does he draw conclusions when there is no evidence to support it, much unlike fellow historian Thomas Weber. On the contrary, he often debunks the 'findings' of others, (for instance the connection between Wittgenstein and Hitler) which makes this book so interesting.
I know it's not the easiest book to read, but the attempt to be objective is just a breath of fresh air.
September 14, 2022
I read this book in English as an ARC.
I have read very little about Alois Hitler. Apparently, little is known about him. The author put together facts and information from various sources and extrapolated. The end result was an interesting discussion of Alois and the influences he may have had on his son. Information about Hitler's siblings and other relatives was also included. Photos of relevant locations and people were a fascinating addition to the book. Ultimately, the book provides insight into Adolf Hitler's childhood.
This is a fairly short read, though it includes plenty of details, some of which seems more important than others. It seems the author intended to document everything he found in his research. Readers can certainly focus on whatever aspects of the biography they prefer.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have read very little about Alois Hitler. Apparently, little is known about him. The author put together facts and information from various sources and extrapolated. The end result was an interesting discussion of Alois and the influences he may have had on his son. Information about Hitler's siblings and other relatives was also included. Photos of relevant locations and people were a fascinating addition to the book. Ultimately, the book provides insight into Adolf Hitler's childhood.
This is a fairly short read, though it includes plenty of details, some of which seems more important than others. It seems the author intended to document everything he found in his research. Readers can certainly focus on whatever aspects of the biography they prefer.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2022
Alois Hitlerin elämänkerrassa on joitakin uusia lähteitä, mutta osin kirja koostuu vanhojen lähteiden tulkinnasta. Tämä on myös tärkeää, koska Adolf Hitlerin lapsuudesta on paljon tulkinnallista tietoa. Roman Sandgruber on saanut haltuunsa Alois Hitlerin kirjeenvaihtoa, mutta se ei tuo kovin paljon muuta uutta tietoa kuin talokauppaan liittyviä raha-asioita. Se mikä ihmiskuntaa kiinnostaa on miten Adolfista kasvoi sellainen ihminen, joka toimillaan aiheutti kymmenien miljoonien ihmisten kuoleman. Teos avaa hieman tuota porttia, mutta ei voi tietenkään antaa täyttä vastausta. Sandgruber on kuitenkin hyvä historijoitsija, joka käy lähteitä läpi hyvin kriittisesti. Kirja onkin hyvä lisä Adolfin Hitlerin elämänkertatietoihin niille, joita aihe kiinnostaa. Pieni miinus pitää antaa hetkittäisestä kuivuudesta, kun Alois Hitlerin talokauppoja käydään kirjeiden perusteella läpi. Pisteet 8,5/10.
December 29, 2022
Very good double biography of the life of Adolf Hitler´s father and Adolf´s early ears. The book is mostly a critical investigation of different sources that are usually ised to construct bouth Hitler´s life story and then a little bit of contructing from them a life narrative.
For me this investigative part was the most interesting, but i can understand if for some one it is a little bit boring.
The book is a little bit contradictory that the author tries to reframe from patologising Adolf Hitler, but in the end he creates a theory of how his abusive father molded his son´s destructive persona
For me this investigative part was the most interesting, but i can understand if for some one it is a little bit boring.
The book is a little bit contradictory that the author tries to reframe from patologising Adolf Hitler, but in the end he creates a theory of how his abusive father molded his son´s destructive persona
August 3, 2022
Tieteellisesen perusteellisesti kirjoiettu teos, joka ei mielestäni kuitenkaan avaa aihepiiriään laajalti. Ehkä kirjasta saisi enemmän sen lupausten perusteella, jos olisi tutustunut aiemmin Hitlerin elämään ja lapsuuteen. Missään nimessä ei huono kirje, hivenen tylsä vain.
January 5, 2025
Spannendes, informatives Buch, es gibt einen guten Eindruck der damaligen Zeit. Allerdings sollte man sich über die Kriegszeit auskennen, ich zum Beispiel wusste manchmal nicht wovon gerade die Rede war
May 4, 2022
Hauskaa, miten suomentaja on kääntänyt vanhat lainaukset vanhanaikaiseksi suomeksi.
July 12, 2024
Wirklich gut lesbares Sachbuch mit neuen Erkenntnissen zu Hitler! Extrem genau recherchiert und mit vielen Daten und Fakten
August 20, 2022
I was fortunate enough to be offered the opportunity to read this in ENGLISH prior to publication via NetGalley and therefore it was not a fully edited.
That said, some of the prose is stilted and arcahic, possibly down to translation. The monitary values of items bought, salaries etc were difficult to quantify in todays values. That said, I feel it is a book for historians rather than an easy read for folk like me.
Alois Hitler as he became was obviously a man driven to excel and escape what he percived as his lowly birth status. Possibly typical of the dominant male head of the family in that ere, but also strikingly narcissistic. It left me feeling sorry for the son, Adolf, in his formative years. I also feel that both he and Alois junior were similar in character, possibly part of their generic make up, possibly thorugh nuture. Either way, Alois the father was not a father any boy would wish for.
A social climber, a hypocrite and powerfully self driven man who craved status at all cost. A man who railroaded his artistic son away from a passion in art that, should he have been allowed to follow his desires in youth would have diverted the catastrophes we endured.
I found the writing style of this book failed to engage me but the subject matter and desire for knowledge of history kept me reading. I hope the final release copy is easier to digest for the layman.
That said, some of the prose is stilted and arcahic, possibly down to translation. The monitary values of items bought, salaries etc were difficult to quantify in todays values. That said, I feel it is a book for historians rather than an easy read for folk like me.
Alois Hitler as he became was obviously a man driven to excel and escape what he percived as his lowly birth status. Possibly typical of the dominant male head of the family in that ere, but also strikingly narcissistic. It left me feeling sorry for the son, Adolf, in his formative years. I also feel that both he and Alois junior were similar in character, possibly part of their generic make up, possibly thorugh nuture. Either way, Alois the father was not a father any boy would wish for.
A social climber, a hypocrite and powerfully self driven man who craved status at all cost. A man who railroaded his artistic son away from a passion in art that, should he have been allowed to follow his desires in youth would have diverted the catastrophes we endured.
I found the writing style of this book failed to engage me but the subject matter and desire for knowledge of history kept me reading. I hope the final release copy is easier to digest for the layman.
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