Alois Maria Ott: I Was Hitler's Psychologist

Adolf Hitler, the genocidal monster of the twentieth century, would not seem to be someone likely to seek psychological counseling, let alone respond. Since his death at the end of the war, there has been a vast outpouring of literature on the Nazi Fuhrer. Until recently, he was not known to have had psychological treatment—with one questionable exception.¹ 

This encounter was rumored to have occurred at Pasewalk Hospital at the end of World War I when he was hypnotized by psychiatrist Dr Edmund Forster. However, it has been firmly discounted by historians.²

In 1990, however, there came a surprising revelation: Hitler had been treated by a psychologist at Landsberg Prison in 1924, with a positive response to treatment.³ Alois Maria Ott, the prison “teacher,” was responsible for the rehabilitation. Ott first disclosed his involvement with Hitler at the hearty age of 98, with reports that he was going to write a book on his experiences, which has not occurred. A devout Catholic, Ott was a firm believer in the power of goodwill, having a nonjudgemental approach to his patients.⁴

In 1924, Hitler was just another Bavarian right-wing rabble-rouser spawned by the loss of the war and the chaos of the Weimar Republic. Inspired by the 1920 Kapp putsch, he decided to mount a coup against the Bavarian government. What is known as the Munich Beer Hall Putsch culminated in a march on the Bavarian Defense Ministry on November 9, 1923.⁵ In the exchange of fire, 16 Nazis and four policemen were killed. Hitler was pulled down, dislocating his shoulder; Ludendorff, undeterred, marched on; Goering was shot in the thigh (which started his morphine addiction).

Hitler was devastated. He could be jailed, deported to Austria, or shot for treason. He managed to escape to the home of Ernst “Putzi” Hanfstaengl, his press spokesman. Overwrought, if not hysterical, he threatened to kill himself and Helene Hanfstaengl had to take the gun from him.⁵ This behavior was not unusual: Hitler frequently threatened suicide when events did not go his way.

On 11th November, Hitler was arrested and taken to Landsburg Prison, 38 miles west of Munich, arriving at night. Fearing a rescue attempt, the Reichswehr was brought in to guard the special prisoner. Hitler was put in Cell Seven in die Festung, a special wing reserved for prisoners of conscience, the nobility, and duellists (a very German arrangement). He was to stay there until December 20, 1924.

The records on arrival state that the prisoner was “of moderate strength,” 5 feet 9 inches tall, and weighed 12 stone one pound (measurements converted from metric). Medical officer Dr Josef Steiner Brin declared Hitler “healthy and strong,” fit for imprisonment. An interesting find at the examination was only learned in 2015: Hitler had “right-side cryptorchidism” or an undescended right testicle, thereby confirming the longstanding rumor.^6,7

Hitler, “a lump of misery,” was unshaven, miserable, and distracted. Rudolf Hess found him in a very low emotional state, expecting to be shot as a revolutionary (and which, of course, he was to do to so many who opposed him). When the investigators arrived, he demonstrated the histrionic behavior that was such a feature of his personality. He would either remain silent, “acted fresh, or broke out into crying fits.”⁸ His shouts and screams could be heard all over the building.

Leybold, the prison warden, had to deal with his rages. Hitler “howled like a madman” before raving about “liars and traitors.” His response was to go on a hunger strike; at least he would die like a martyr. As the hunger took hold, he became apathetic and looked “like a heap of misery, crestfallen, poorly shaved, and listening to my simple words with a tired little smile and no interest.” Moved to the hospital wing, he got steadily weaker and the staff decided that force-feeding was the only option. Before this came about, he was visited by Ott.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/alois-maria-ott-i-was-hitler-s-psychologist