Paula was born in 1896. In 1903, when Paula was six years old, her father died from a lung hemorrhage. Her mother was left with only his meager pension to raise Paula and her brother. In 1907, when Paula was 11 years old and her brother was 18, her mother died from breast cancer. The government provided them with a small pension to ease their burden. Paula’s brother, a romantic, idealistic, and fantasy-oriented teenager, was away at the time of his mother’s death studying fine arts. He dreamed of being a famous artist. He wanted everyone around the world to know his name. He had little money, but he knew he would have better opportunities to earn money than his 11-year-old sister, so he selflessly transferred his share of the pension to her. Paula’s brother sometimes sold a watercolor painting or two to get by, but most of the time he took whatever manual labor job he could get.

For years, Paula and her brother had little contact. When they saw each other they bickered, as most siblings do but they had genuine affection for each other. Paula’s brother struggled to build his reputation as a painter. They both took menial jobs just to survive. He fought during World War I but never gave up on his dream. After the war, he tried to build his reputation as an artist again, but few people had money to buy non-essential items such as watercolor paintings. Paula’s brother began working in politics, but continued painting. When Paula lost her job because of her connection to him, he began sending her money each month to help. He fought during World War II and painted when he had the opportunity. Paula’s brother considered himself, “an artist by nature and not a politician.” He said, “I will end my life as an artist.” In April 1945, Paula saw her brother for the last time. During their visit, they talked for a short time. When it was time for her to leave, he gave her a large amount of money. Two weeks later, he died from a gunshot wound.

Paula lived off the money that her brother had given her for several years and then returned to menial jobs for survival. She died in poverty in 1960. At the time of Paula’s brother’s death, few people knew him as an artist. Now, practically everyone knows his name. His paintings are in collections all over the world and often fetch high prices when they come up for auction. Sometimes, people protest the sale of his paintings. Most people are interested in his paintings, not because of their beauty, but for another reason entirely. For several decades, Paula Wolff kept a secret. She was living under an assumed last name. In the 1930s, Paula’s brother insisted that she adopt the last name Wolff to shield her from his reputation. He was still protecting her. You see, Paula’s real last name was Hitler. Her brother was Adolf.

Sources:

1. Daily News (Sydney, Australia), September 22, 1939, p.1.

2. The Daily News Leader (Staunton, Virginia), November 22, 1992, p.8.

3. The Bolton News, September 27, 2006, p.4.

4. “Alois Hitler Sr.,” Find a Grave, accessed January 10, 2026, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11646/alois-hitler.

5. “Klara Pölzl Hitler,” Find a Grave, accessed January 10, 2026, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/11645/klara-hitler.