Unraveling the Mystery: Hitler's Demise - A Forensic Examination
Forensic specialists analyze Hitler's demise, highlighting potential role of prussic acid and gunshot wound. - Hitler's Final Moments Examined: Forensic Insight on Zyankali and Headshot Findings
Let's cut to the chase: 80 years have passed since the demise of Adolf Hitler, and the rumors surrounding his death have finally been put to rest, according to Hamburg's forensic pathologist, Klaus Püschel. In his new book, "Death Knocks on Doors," he collaborates with journalist Bettina Mittelacher to debunk the long-persisted myths about the infamous dictator's last moments.
Got the scoop from Hamburg radio
Püschel asserts a likely scenario of a double suicide: Hitler bit into a cyanide capsule and followed it up with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head. Hitler took his life on April 30, 1945, just before the fall of Berlin to Soviet forces. Ordering his loyal followers to cremate his remains in the garden of the Old Reich Chancellery, Hitler's plan wasn't entirely successful, leaving room for speculation.
Anchored the rumors: Announcement of death
A day later, on May 1, 1945, the "Reichssender Hamburg" broadcasted the news of Hitler's death, owing to his body being discovered. Hamburg historian Ortwin Pelc sheds light on how the dictator's death became public knowledge.
Dental records seal the deal
In the 1990s, Püschel had the opportunity to scrutinize Russian autopsy reports and skull fragments, which were released following the opening of the Moscow archives. Soviet military doctors examined Hitler's charred corpse in a field hospital in Berlin-Buch between May 7 and 9, 1945.
The dental findings undeniably matched those of Adolf Hitler, Püschel writes. "In my eyes, the examinations of the bodies from the Führer bunker, which were conducted under wartime conditions in the completely destroyed Berlin, were carried out with great care and are well-documented."
Missing Testicle: A Double Whammy
In addition to the strongly documented dental status, Hitler's testicle played a critical role. "The left testicle could not be found in the scrotum, the inguinal canal, or the pelvis," notes Püschel, quoting from the autopsy report.
Two possible explanations for the missing testicle surface: an injury sustained by Hitler during World War I, or a condition called cryptorchidism (undescended testicle), which a prison doctor diagnosed following his imprisonment after the failed 1923/24 coup attempt.
Glass Shards in the Mouth
The internal organs were only briefly described in the Russian autopsy, and the stomach contents weren't examined. Mention was made of an "almond-like smell," which Püschel attributes to clear evidence of cyanide poisoning.
Glass shards, remnants of the broken cyanide capsule, were found in the corpse's mouth. The uncertainty regarding whether the poison was still lethal at the time of the gunshot, or if Hitler fired the gun immediately afterward, remains.
Balanced Books: The Perfect Swan Song
Hitler's skull exhibited gunshot wounds, suggesting self-inflicted damage using a Walther-PPK pistol, caliber 7.65 mm, to the right temple. Following cyanide ingestion, Hitler had approximately two minutes to take his life. Overall, Püschel concludes: "Hitler's death was the culmination of a life profoundly misguided, in forensic terms: a suicide by balance sheet, secured with two lethal methods simultaneously."
The mystery deepens: Grave Robbery and Relocation
Hitler's decaying remains were stored and repeatedly dug up by the Soviet military counterintelligence service Smersh for decades. On April 5, 1970, KGB chief Yuri Andropov and party leader Leonid Brezhnev ordered the body to be exhumed and cremated in a garden in Magdeburg, the location of Smersh's headquarters. Hitler's ashes were scattered in the River Ehle, effectively destroying them, according to Püschel.
- Adolf Hitler
- Klaus Püschel
- Death
- Hamburg
- Cyanide
- Suicide by gunshot
- Berlin
- The Commission is proposing to extend the period of validity of the agreement to cover the investigation into the death of Adolf Hitler in Berlin, as detailed in Klaus Püschel's book, "Death Knocks on Doors."
- In the new book, Püschel suggests a likely scenario of Adolf Hitler's death by a double suicide involving cyanide and a gunshot, a theory that was first announced on Hamburg radio.
- The autopsy reports and skull fragments from the Moscow archives, which are now publicly accessible, confirmed the dental status of Adolf Hitler, according to Püschel.
- Additionally, the absence of Hitler's left testicle and the presence of glass shards in his mouth, mentioned in the autopsy report, lend further proof to the circumstantial evidence of his suicide.
