Hitler’s Niece - Suicide or Murder?

It’s the morning of September 18th, 1931, and through the walls of their apartment in Munich, Germany, a man and woman can be heard arguing. The man is Adolf Hitler, who would go on to lead as German Chancellor and be one of the world’s most infamous dictators who committed heinous crimes against humanity. The woman, his 23-year-old niece, Geli Raubal. Within hours of the argument, Geli was dead from a gunshot wound to the chest. The gun was Hitler’s. The official verdict ruled her death a suicide, but with rumours of an inappropriate relationship with her uncle did Geli Raubal kill herself or was it a Nazi murder cover-up? In this episode we look at Geli Raubal’s life and death under closer examination, to see how conclusions drawn in the case are now being questioned as to their accuracy. Does the evidence suggest she was involved in a violent altercation before her fatal shooting? Is the angle of the gunshot wound unusual for a suicide attempt? Do multiple witness statements contradict Hitler’s testimony? These events and the secrecy surrounding the investigation have caused many to question the official verdict with suggestions of incest, murder, and a cover up within the Nazi Party just before they seized power. So, what is the truth? Was this suicide or murder? And how did this case affect the Nazi Party’s rise to power? Cast List: Gerhard Fuermetz A German historian and researcher from Augsburg University. Dr Linda Papadopoulos The Reader in Psychology at London Metropolitan University, with a 17-year career working as a research scientist and practicing psychologist. Nigel Jones A historian, journalist and former deputy editor of History Today magazine and former reviews editor of BBC History Magazine. Roger Moorhouse A historian and author of many books on the Second World War, including ‘Killing Hitler’. He is a specialist in modern German history with particular focus on Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices