When Adolf Hitler saw a pile of bricks near the church of St. Matthew in Munich, Germany, he said, “That pile of stones will have to be removed.” Someone misunderstood him, thinking he was referring to the whole church. The church was demolished.
10 Weird Facts About Hitler
He Was Heavy into Prescription Drugs and Meth
Hitler’s personal physician, Dr. Theodor Morell, kept the German dictator on an escalating daily regimen of up to 80 different medications. These included daily injections of high-grade methamphetamine (Pervitin), opiates, cocaine eye drops (prescribed for sinus troubles), and even extracts from young bulls’ testicles to boost his libido.
He Whistled Disney Songs for Stress Relief
Despite being an infamous tyrant, Hitler was a fan of early American cinema and animation. His associates noted that when he was in a good mood—or attempting to de-stress after major events like the fall of Paris—he would compulsively whistle tunes like “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf” and “When You Wish Upon a Star”.
His Iconic Mustache Was Trimmed for Gas Masks
Before and during early World War I, Hitler wore a thick, full “Kaiser-style” handlebar mustache. He was ordered to trim it down to the distinct “toothbrush” style specifically so it would form a proper seal under a military gas mask after surviving a mustard gas attack.
He Was Technically Stateless for Seven Years
Hitler was born in Austria-Hungary and loathed the multi-ethnic empire. He formally renounced his Austrian citizenship in 1925 but was unable to gain German citizenship right away, leaving him officially stateless (without a country or passport) until 1932, when a Nazi political ally secured him a low-level government job in Brunswick that automatically conferred German nationality.
He Borrowed the “Sieg Heil” Cheer from College Cheerleaders
According to Ernst “Putzi” Hanfstaengl, a close associate of Hitler in the 1920s who went to Harvard, Hitler was deeply fascinated by American college football culture. He adapted the rhythmic, unison chanting and sharp arm gestures used by U.S. cheerleaders to create the rallies and the famous “Sieg Heil!” salute.
He Was a Severe Hypochondriac with Chronic Flatulence
Hitler suffered from severe stomach cramps and chronic digestive issues, resulting in extreme flatulence. His doctors treated the condition with a bizarre array of remedies, including anti-gas pills composed of strychnine and atropine (which nearly poisoned him over time) and chamomile enemas.
He Never Visited a Single Concentration Camp
Despite engineering the Holocaust and ordering the deaths of millions, Hitler maintained a strict distance from the actual mechanics of the genocide. He never visited a single extermination camp, avoided hospitals treating wounded soldiers, and refused to view physical evidence of the destruction he ordered.
He Was a Night Owl Who Slept Through D-Day
Hitler had severe insomnia and rarely went to sleep before 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. Because of his strict orders that he never be disturbed while sleeping, his staff was too terrified to wake him on the morning of June 6, 1944 (D-Day). He slept in until nearly noon, delaying critical orders to release reserve Panzer divisions to counter the Allied landings at Normandy.
He Loved Sweets and Hated the Dentist
Despite his strict vegetarian diet, Hitler was addicted to sugar. He reportedly ate up to two pounds of chocolate a day, added multiple spoonfuls of sugar to fine wine, and loved heavy pastries. Unsurprisingly, this led to terrible dental health, severe abscesses, and an intense fear of the dentist; he once insisted on spreading a simple root canal out over eight days because he couldn’t stand the pain.
His Last Name Was Almost “Schicklgruber”
Hitler’s father, Alois, was born out of wedlock to Maria Anna Schicklgruber and used her last name for the first 39 years of his life. Alois later legally changed his last name to “Hitler” (a variant of his stepfather’s name, Hiedler) 13 years before Adolf was born. Had his father not made the change, the Nazi dictator would have been named Adolf Schicklgruber.