"I decoded Hitler's DNA - and discovered a particularly embarrassing finding"

British geneticist Prof. Turi King reveals in a personal column how a DNA test attributed to Hitler uncovered a deletion in the PROK2 gene, linked to a disorder in sexual development. The finding, already presented in 2025, carries irony given Nazi racial laws, but King emphasizes that no definitive conclusions should be drawn from it.

British geneticist Prof. Turi King reveals in a personal column in the New York Post how a DNA test attributed to Adolf Hitler was conducted and what it uncovered about his sexual development. The test, based on a piece of blood-stained fabric from the sofa in the bunker where Hitler committed suicide, was identified by comparing the Y chromosome to distant relatives. The main finding is a deletion in the PROK2 gene, associated with a rare disorder called congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, which can cause delayed or partial sexual maturation. King notes that the findings were already presented in a 2025 documentary and have sparked scientific criticism. She highlights the irony that Hitler himself might have been considered 'unfit' under Nazi racial laws, but also warns against drawing definitive conclusions from genetics alone.