1. Early life and family background
Leo Rudolf Raubal Jr. was born on October 2, 1906, to Leo Raubal Sr. and Angela Hitler, who was Adolf Hitler's elder half-sister. From an early age, Raubal Jr. pursued an academic path, becoming a chemistry teacher. He initially worked in Salzburg. While his mother, Angela, resided in Berchtesgaden, he maintained sporadic contact, visiting her from time to time.
Raubal Jr. was considered a "favorite nephew" by Adolf Hitler, a sentiment also extended to his younger cousin Heinz Hitler, in contrast to their cousin William Patrick Hitler. Hitler reportedly enjoyed spending time with Leo Raubal. However, the nature of this relationship was not without complexity and conflicting accounts. According to William Patrick Hitler, Leo harbored a dislike for his uncle, Adolf Hitler, and held him responsible for the death of his half-niece, Geli Raubal. Geli, who was Angela Hitler's daughter and thus Leo's half-sister, died by suicide in 1931. This claim by William Patrick Hitler, suggesting Leo's accusation against Adolf Hitler, stands in contrast to later statements. Historian Werner Maser reported that in 1967, Leo Raubal Jr. explicitly stated that Hitler was "absolutely innocent" regarding Geli's death. This divergence in accounts highlights the varied and often contentious perceptions of the Hitler family's internal dynamics.
2. Pre-war and military career
Before the outbreak of World War II, Leo Rudolf Raubal Jr. transitioned from his teaching career to the industrial sector, becoming a manager at the Linz Steelworks. This marked a shift in his professional life prior to his military service.
In October 1939, shortly after the war began, Raubal was conscripted into the Luftwaffe, the air force of Nazi Germany. He served as a lieutenant within the engineering corps. During his time in the Luftwaffe, Raubal gained a notable, albeit peculiar, role. He was observed to bear a striking physical resemblance to his uncle, Adolf Hitler. Due to this likeness, Raubal Jr. occasionally served as Hitler's double, particularly during the war, likely for public appearances or security purposes.
3. World War II and Soviet captivity
Leo Rudolf Raubal Jr.'s military service in the Luftwaffe continued into World War II, leading him to participate in some of its most brutal engagements. In January 1943, he was severely injured during the infamous Battle of Stalingrad, a turning point on the Eastern Front. Following his injury, Friedrich Paulus, the German field marshal commanding the Sixth Army at Stalingrad, specifically requested an aircraft from Hitler to evacuate Raubal to Germany for medical treatment. However, Hitler, despite Raubal being his nephew and a "favorite," refused this request.
On January 31, 1943, Raubal was captured by Soviet forces as the German Sixth Army surrendered at Stalingrad. Following his capture, Hitler reportedly considered a prisoner exchange. He gave orders to investigate the possibility of exchanging Raubal with the Soviets for Yakov Dzhugashvili, who was Joseph Stalin's son and had been captured by the Germans on July 16, 1941. However, Stalin firmly rejected any such exchange, famously stating, "war is war." This refusal applied to both Raubal and Friedrich Paulus, highlighting the uncompromising nature of the conflict.
Following his capture, Leo Raubal Jr. was detained in various jails in Moscow. His captivity extended for a significant period after the war's conclusion. He was finally released by the Soviets on September 28, 1955, and subsequently returned to his home country of Austria.
4. Post-captivity life and death
Upon his release from Soviet captivity on September 28, 1955, Leo Rudolf Raubal Jr. returned to Austria. He settled in Linz, where he resumed his career as a teacher. He lived and worked in Linz for more than two decades after his return.
Leo Raubal Jr. died on August 18, 1977, while on vacation in Spain. His body was repatriated to Austria, and he was buried on September 7, 1977, in Linz.
5. Family and descendants
Leo Rudolf Raubal Jr. had one son, Peter Raubal, who was born in 1931. Peter Raubal is a retired engineer who resides in Linz, Austria. Notably, Peter Raubal has never married and has no children.
Leo Raubal Jr.'s son Peter, along with Heiner Hochegger (born 1945), who is the son of Leo's sister Elfriede Raubal, and the three surviving sons of William Patrick Hitler-Alexander Adolf (born 1949), Louis (born 1951), and Brian William (born 1965)-represent the closest living relatives to Adolf Hitler. This lineage highlights the enduring, albeit distant, family ties to one of history's most infamous figures.
Unlike Leo Raubal Jr., William Patrick Hitler, who was also a nephew of Adolf Hitler, had a significantly different relationship with his uncle. William Patrick explicitly distanced himself from Adolf Hitler, even publicly denouncing him by 1938. He later fought with the United States during World War II and changed his last name to Stuart-Houston. William Patrick's sons, who similarly have no children, also bear the surname Stuart-Houston, reflecting their branch's deliberate effort to sever overt connections to the Hitler name. The lack of descendants among the surviving branches of the Hitler family, including Peter Raubal and William Patrick's sons, has been noted as potentially leading to the end of Hitler's direct bloodline.