Key points: DNA from a blood-stained fabric fragment reportedly linked to the sofa where Adolf Hitler died was analyzed and yields results consistent with Kallmann syndrome, a rare condition that can delay or prevent puberty and affect sexual development. The team estimates about a 1-in-10 chance Hitler had a micropenis and note a 1923 record of an undescended testicle, both consistent with the diagnosis. Researchers also report elevated polygenic risk scores for autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but stress that DNA alone cannot explain behavior or excuse crimes. Experts caution about limitations of old DNA samples and warn against stigmatizing people with similar diagnoses.
DNA Analysis Suggests Adolf Hitler Likely Had Kallmann Syndrome — What the Findings Mean
Key points: DNA from a blood-stained fabric fragment reportedly linked to the sofa where Adolf Hitler died was analyzed and yields results consistent with Kallmann syndrome, a rare condition that can delay or prevent puberty and affect sexual development. The team estimates about a 1-in-10 chance Hitler had a micropenis and note a 1923 record of an undescended testicle, both consistent with the diagnosis. Researchers also report elevated polygenic risk scores for autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but stress that DNA alone cannot explain behavior or excuse crimes. Experts caution about limitations of old DNA samples and warn against stigmatizing people with similar diagnoses.
02:24 AM, 11/17/2025Politics
New DNA analysis suggests Hitler likely had a rare developmental disorder
Researchers who analyzed DNA taken from a blood-stained fragment of fabric — reportedly from the sofa where Adolf Hitler shot himself in 1945 — say the results are consistent with a diagnosis of Kallmann syndrome, a rare genetic condition that can delay or prevent puberty and affect sexual development.
Kallmann syndrome in males is commonly associated with underdeveloped genitalia, undescended testicles and reduced fertility or libido. The research team estimates Hitler had roughly a 1-in-10 chance of having a micropenis and note that a 1923 medical record described an undescended testicle, both findings consistent with the syndrome. The DNA analyzed was more than 80 years old and is discussed in the U.K. documentary Hitler’s DNA: Blueprint of a Dictator and reported by The Times.
The genetic study also reported that Hitler's genome placed him in the top 1% for polygenic risk scores associated with autism, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The lead geneticist on the project, Professor Turi King, emphasized the important caveats: DNA is only one part of a person's makeup and cannot on its own explain behavior, personality or moral choices.
"The genetics can in no way excuse what he did," Professor King says in the documentary. She added that she took part to ensure the research was carried out rigorously rather than being done carelessly by others.
Historian Alex J. Kay of the University of Potsdam, interviewed in the film, suggested a diagnosis like Kallmann syndrome could help explain Hitler's extraordinary focus on politics and the absence of a conventional private family life compared with other senior Nazi officials. Psychologist Sir Simon Baron-Cohen of Cambridge’s Autism Research Centre cautioned against stigmatizing people who share similar diagnoses, stressing that most individuals with these conditions are neither violent nor cruel.
Limitations and context: The findings are based on analysis of aged biological material and statistical risk estimates. Experts note possible issues such as sample contamination, the probabilistic nature of polygenic risk scores, and the many social, historical and psychological factors that shape behavior. As Professor King states, genetics are complex and not deterministic.
The study and the accompanying documentary have sparked public and academic debate about the ethics and value of genomic analyses of historical figures. The researchers say their goal was to add one piece of biological context to a larger historical and psychological picture — not to provide a single explanation for Hitler’s actions.