Hopefully I will be forgiven for digressing here. The second most interesting quest in genealogy for me, beside Howard Hughes was Adolf Hitler. Briefly, Hans Frank (executed for war crimes) was commissioned by Hitler to check on any Jewish ancestry. It did not exist.
The secret was taken to the grave by a poor peasant woman, of Hitler's paternal grandfather. She was Maria Schicklgruber. Her son, Alois Schicklgruber was Hitler's father. At the age of about 30 years, he had a forged birth certificate, to give him the name of Alois Hitler. Father named Heidler. The clerk transcribed it wrongly, but closely. Now he was legitimate person, not illegitimate as described in parish records in 1837.
I would say that the history of the woodland area (Waldviertel) where Hitler was born, was crossed and recrossed by various armies. The peasant people had no defence, just survived. My guess is that Hitler had the blood of at least three different races in his veins.
Oh oh, I said forged birth certificate, the plot thickens.
Now that is interesting. Have you put any of your research online? I’d like to read more, I bet Howard Hughes is interesting too.
I’d heard Hitler turned his hometown or fathers’ hometown into an artillery or bomb range, but that could be another rumor.
The plot sickens is more like it.