Psychological History of Adolf Hitler

Explain the impact of

Obdachlosenheim, the

Maennerheim, “Ostara,”

and Karl Lueger on the

character and

leadership skills of

Adolf Hitler.

Hitler was born in a small Austrian town called Braunau

Family Life

Father = Alois Schicklgruber

(1837-1903)

Alois’ 1st Wife =

• Anna Glassl

• He cheated on her and they separated

in 1880

Alois’ 2nd Wife =

• Franziska Matzelberger

• They married in 1883

• She gave Alois 2 children:

– Alois Jr.

– Angela

• Developed respiratory ailment

• Went to cabin in the woods for

treatment

Alois needed help caring for 2 young

children (while Franziska was sick)

• Hired Klara Poelzl to

serve as nanny to

Alois Jr. (3) and

Angela (2)

• Became sexually

involved with Klara

• She was his 2nd

cousin

Klara Poelzl

Franziska died in 1884 and Alois married

Klara Poelzl in 1885 (his 2nd cousin)

Alois and Klara’s Family:

• Alois Jr. (stepchild – Matzelberger)

• Angela (stepchild – Matzelberger)

• Gustav Hitler (born 1885 & died 1887 / diptheria)

• Ida Hitler (born 1886 & died 1888 / diptheria)

• Otto Hitler (born 1887 & died 1887)

• Adolf Hitler (born April 20, 1889)

• Edmund Hitler (born 1894 & died of measles in 1900 at age 6)

• Paula Hitler (born 1896)

Baby Adolf

Just kidding on this one!

Paula Hitler

Hitler’s Relationship With His

Father

Alois Hitler Al

Alois Hitler, Jr.

School & Early Influences

Karl May as “Old Shatterhand” Karl May

Karl May Novels

Dr. Leopold Potsch

• One of Hitler’s History teachers

• Gave dynamic lectures

• Anti-Semite

• Only person from his youth that Hitler

visited after becoming Der Fuehrer

Failures in School

• Good student initially

• Stopped caring about school after

brother, Edmund, died (Hitler was 11)

• Failed 9th grade twice & was given

special 3rd test if promised to go

elsewhere next year

• Next year went to boarding school in

Steyr & failed again. Dropped out then.

Hitler’s Grades

Young Adolf

Young Adolf Hitler

Places Hitler Grew Up: Braunau, Linz, and Vienna,

Austria

ViennaLinzBraunau

Living With Mother in Linz,

1905-1907

• Talked Mother into letting him move home

and educate himself

• Attended theatre, read many books, joined

music club

• Never held a job or even looked for one!

Life in Vienna, 1907-1913

Vienna Opera House

Vienna Art Academy

Postcard painted by Adolf Hitler

Hitler Denied Entrance to Vienna

Art Academy Twice

Vienna Art Academy as painted by Adolf Hitler

Klara Hitler Died in 1907

August Kubizek

• Hitler’s roomate in Vienna

• Attended Vienna Music

Conservatory

• Hitler’s only close friend

Linz Opera House – where

Kubizek and Hitler met

Hitler’s Rage Episodes

Kubizek’s sketch of his

young friend, Adolf

Origin of Species, 1859

Charles Darwin

Vienna street publication called

“Ostara”

Lanz von Liebenfels = Publisher of

“Ostara,” mystic, and Aryan supremacist

“Ostara” characters = Afflings

(dark skinned, ape-like men, who preyed

on Aryan women)

Afflings were very sexually potent and

preyed on Aryan women

“Ostara” supported the following

actions to create the “master

race”:

• Genetic selection

• Sterilization

• Deportation

• Liquidation through labor and murder

Wealthy Austrian industrialists supported

von Liebenfels and his Aryan League

(not the actual castle - - Werfenstein Castle)

“I am no one’s disciple,

and all my knowledge

comes from my own

inspiration, by the grace

of Providence, and from

dialogues with the spirit.”

Adolf Hitler (liar)

Street Life in Vienna

(Sept. 1909 – February 1910)

Obdachlosenheim – was a men’s

shelter for the desperate that

Hitler stayed in.

Reinhold Hanisch – was an ex-convict that

Hitler met while he was in

Obdachlosenheim. He taught Hitler how to

defend himself & how to survive the streets.

Things Hitler Learned While

Living in Obdachlosenheim:

Intimidation

Obdachlosenheim was filled with homeless men.

Many of them were criminals. Hitler was a small

man who could not defend himself well. One time

Hitler was badly beaten & his trenchcoat was

stolen. Hitler learned intimidation from being

intimidated himself!

Survival Skills

Hanisch taught Hitler how to fight and how to

survive on the streets. He also helped teach Hitler

intimidation (look tough and act tough – people

will fear you).

The Mannerheim – was a better men’s hostel which gave each man a

cubicle with a bed. There was a library and two lounges that men

could stay in during the day.

While Living in the Maennerheim

Hitler Learned:

Political Communication Skills

Hitler would talk politics with the “hard core men” that lived there.

Hitler also read newspapers about Karl Lueger {the Mayor of

Vienna} in the library of the Maennerheim.

Hitler also talked politics with men in coffee shops or cafés that

were nearby.

The Maennerheim today

Kitchen in the Maennerheim

Street Life in Vienna

(Hitler was 20 years old)

• Brittgenau = the Vienna district which the

Maennerheim was located in. Industrial

suburb with 2nd highest Jewish population in

the city

• Leopoldstadt = Vienna district with the

highest Jewish population. Was a shortage

of housing and large vagrant population in

both districts.

Samples of Hitler’s Art

Hitler’s Art

The Political Environment of

Vienna, Austria

• Karl Lueger =

previously a

member of the

Austrian Reichsrat

• Mayor of Vienna

when Hitler was

there

• Political mentor for

Hitler

Karl Lueger taught Hitler:

• Attack the Jews!

• Effective use of propaganda. (Example = Lueger wrote articles in Christian Church magazines telling

people that the Jews wanted to get rid of Christianity!)

• Host big parades to attract large

numbers of people.

• End the parade at a stadium to have a

political rally.

• Use big gestures while speaking to

make sure the audience sees you.

• Vary your tone of voice (loud & soft).

Georg von Schönerer (political

mentor to Hitler)• German nationalist

politician

• Founder of Pan-German political party

• Taught Hitler to openly target the Jewish population with racial anti-Semitism

• His key mistake was trying to build political power through the Reichsrat

“The art of

leadership

consists of

consolidating the

attention of the

people against a

single adversary

and taking care

that nothing will

split up this

attention.”

Adolf Hitler

Hitler as a courier

in WW I, the first

real job he ever

held!

Hitler in World War I

“The Eagle’s Nest (Berchtesgaden)” – Hitler’s Bavarian Alps retreat

during WW II

The view from the front of the “Eagle’s Nest” in the Bavarian Alps.

The Eagle’s Nest