| Leo Rudolf Raubal Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Leo Rudolf Raubal Jr. October 12, 1906 Linz, Austria |
| Died | August 18, 1977 (aged 70) Spain |
| Resting place | Linz |
| Nationality | Austrian |
| Spouse(s) | unknown |
| Children | Peter Raubal |
| Parents | Angela Hitler, Leo Raubal |
| Relatives | Adolf Hitler (uncle) Geli Raubal (sister) Elfriede Hochegger (sister) |
Leo Rudolf Raubal Jr. (12 October 1906 in Linz – 18 August 1977, Spain) was a teacher, soldier and manager. He was a son of Leo Rubal (Sr.) and his wife Angela (Adolf Hitler's half-sister).
Leo Raubal Jr. worked in Salzburg as a teacher of chemistry. He visited his mother sporadically while she was living in Berchtesgaden. According to William Patrick Hitler, Leo did not like his uncle Adolf and he blamed him for death of his sister Geli. This cannot be confirmed because (according to historian Werner Maser) Leo said in 1967 that Hitler was "absolutely innocent."[1] Leo Raubal was, just like his younger cousin, Heinz Hitler, but unlike William Patrick Hitler, a "favorite nephew of the leader," and Hitler liked to spend his time with him.[2]
Before the war he became a manager of the Linz Steelworks. In October 1939 he was drafted into the Luftwaffe and was a lieutenant in the engineering corps. He looked similar to Adolf Hitler and sometimes was Hitler's double during the war.[3]
He was injured in January 1943 during the battle of Stalingrad,[4] and Friedrich Paulus asked Hitler for a plane to evacuate Raubal to Germany.[5] Hitler refused and Raubal was captured by the Russians on 31 January 1943. Hitler ordered to check the possibility of a prisoner exchange with the Soviets for Stalin's son Yakov Dzhugashvili, who was in German captivity since 16 July 1941.[6] Stalin refused to exchange him neither for Raubal or for Friedrich Paulus,[7] and said "war is war."[8]
Raubal was detained in Moscow's jails and was released by the Soviets on 28 September 1955, and came back to Austria. He lived and worked in Linz as a teacher. He died during his vacation in Spain. He was buried on 7 September 1977 in Linz.[9] Leo Raubal Jr. had a son Peter (born in 1931) who is (along with Elfriede's [Leo Jr.'s sister] son, Heiner Hochegger, and William Patrick Hitler's three sons) the closest living relative to Adolf Hitler. Peter Raubal is a retired engineer who lives in Linz, Austria.
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