🌅 Hitler May Have Had a Micropenis

SOURCE

Hitler’s DNA: Blueprint of a Dictator

WHAT TO KNOW

• A new documentary by British broadcaster Channel 4 sequenced the genome of Adolf Hitler, finding the Nazi leader had a well-known but rare genetic disorder called Kallmann syndrome, which hinders the progression of puberty and the development of sex organs. The finding also means Hitler likely had low or fluctuating levels of testosterone and a 10% chance of having a micropenis.

WHY IT MATTERS

• The new evidence aligns with long-known reports about Hitler being teased for having underdeveloped genitals while he was in the Army. It also aligns with a 1923 medical examination of Hitler, which found he had an undescended right testicle, as well as the well-known WWII-era British war chant, Hitler Has Only Got One Ball.

CONNECT THE DOTS

• While the new evidence about Hitler’s body is robust and appears definitive—the work has been submitted for peer review—the documentary went further by using Hitler’s DNA to examine his psychology, noting he may have had ADHD and a propensity for some autistic behaviors. However, experts say that sort of genetic determinism—i.e., using one’s genes to understand their psychology—is precisely the type of shaky science the Nazis themselves engaged in, noting such genetic analyses may tell us something about the population at large, but not individuals.