The mystery of Geli Raubal’s death: new documents raise questions about Hitler’s role

The death of Geli Raubal, Adolf Hitler’s 23-year-old niece, may have occurred under circumstances different from the version accepted until now. A discovery by German historian Harald Sandner has once again drawn attention to the events of September 1931.

Raubal, the daughter of Hitler’s half-brother’s sister, was found dead in his apartment in Munich. She had been shot with a firearm, and Hitler’s pistol was found next to her body. At the time, authorities classified the case as a suicide, while Hitler was said to have been in Nuremberg.

According to Sandner, recently discovered official documents suggest that the 23-year-old’s body may have been found on September 18, one day earlier than the date previously accepted. If this chronology were confirmed, Hitler may still have been in Munich when Raubal died.

The German historian says that a new “body of evidence” places the time of death in the early hours of September 18 or, possibly, during the night before that date.

This hypothesis has also revived earlier speculation about the relationship between Hitler and Raubal. For years, claims have circulated that the two may have had an intimate relationship, while it is said that they had a heated argument shortly before her death.

If Sandner’s version were proven and it were established that Raubal was killed by Hitler, she would be the only person the Nazi dictator is known to have personally killed.

However, not all scholars support this theory. Historian Guy Walters has challenged it, saying that the discrepancy in the dates on the documents may simply have been caused by a transcription error.

Walters has also expressed reservations about the idea that Hitler and Raubal had a sexual relationship. According to him, there is insufficient evidence to support this claim.

Consequently, the case remains unresolved. One version presents Geli Raubal’s death as a suicide, while another raises the suspicion that Adolf Hitler himself may have been behind it.