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DNA test traces Hitler's cousin 'Norbert' and 39 other relatives

A DNA test on a man in Austria has proved that he is one of the last living relatives of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

The 46-year-old farmer, thought to be a cousin of the former German dictator, was horrified to learn the blood of the ‘greatest criminal’ is in his veins.

But the man, tracked down by Belgian journalist Jean-Paul Mulders, is not alone.

Mr Mulders, who persuaded the man to take a mouth swab test, says there are as many as 39 others living in the remote Waldviertel region of Austria where he comes from.

The area was home to Hitler’s grandmother, Anna Schicklgruber, father Alois and mother Klara.

After the end of the Second World War, the name Hitler completely vanished as those who bore it had it changed.

Many families there still bear similar names, though, like Hiedler and Huettler.

And it was going through these names in the phone book that Mr Mulders came upon the man related to the Fuehrer.

The journalist had previously garnered some Hitler DNA covertly by taking a serviette dropped by one of three known Hitler descendants who live on Long Island, New York.

One of them, Alexander Stuart-Houston, 61, a grand-nephew of Hitler, was trailed for seven days before the dropped the litter which Mulders said led him to the relation in Austria.

Austria’s magazine News interviewed the man in its edition published today.

Mr Mulders doesn’t say what his relationship to Adolf Hitler was but he is probably a cousin.

Called Norbert H by the publication - not his real name – he is running in a local election for the Austrian People’s Party.

He said he had no reason to doubt the findings of chemist Ralf Vermeulen in his biotech laboratory in Zwjmaarde close to Gent where the DNA matches were made.

But he added: ‘I wish I had never done this. Hitler for me was the biggest criminal of all time - there is no argument about that.

'I did the test without really thinking and regret it now.’

Read entire article at Daily Mail (UK)