Johann Nepomuk Hiedler

Johann Nepomuk Hiedler, also known as Johann Nepomuk Hüttler (19 March 1807 – 17 September 1888), was a maternal great-grandfather[1] and possibly also the paternal grandfather of Adolf Hitler.[2][3]

Johann Nepomuk Hiedler was born to Martin Hiedler (1762–1829) and Anna Maria Göschl (1760–1854).[4] His first two names are the same as the name of the Bohemian Saint Johann von Nepomuk. Some consider this name as evidence that Nepomuk (and therefore his great-grandson Adolf Hitler) had Czech ancestry. However, Johann von Pomuk/Johann Nepomuk, was an important saint for Bohemians of both Czech and German ethnicity. Nepomuk thus may only indicate an association with Bohemia in general, or to someone else named Johann Nepomuk.

Nepomuk became a relatively prosperous farmer and was married to Eva Maria Decker (1792–1873) who was fifteen years his senior. On 19 January 1830, Eva Hiedler gave birth to Johanna. Legally, he was the stepuncle of Alois Schicklgruber (later Alois Hitler), who was the stepson of his brother Johann Georg Hiedler, an itinerant miller who may in fact have been Alois' natural father.

Johann Nepomuk informally adopted Alois during Alois' childhood. It is possible that he was, in fact, Alois' natural father but could not acknowledge this publicly due to his marriage. Another, and perhaps simpler, explanation for this kindness is simply that Nepomuk pitied the ten-year-old Alois, as Alois' stepfather's occupation was itinerant and his mother Maria died when Alois was 9 years old.

Nepomuk willed Alois a considerable portion of his life savings. Nepomuk's granddaughter, Klara, had a protracted affair with Alois before marrying him in 1885 after the death of Alois' second wife. In 1889 she gave birth to Adolf Hitler.