The Shelbourne Hotel on Stephens Green in the heart of Dublin City Centre is arguably Dublin’s most famous and most upmarket five-star Hotel in Dublin.
Aside from that, it is also home to some bizarre and hidden history.
My favourite obscure story about The Shelbourne Hotel is about one of its former staff members, a man called Alois Hitler Junior.
The surname is a give-away but believe it or not Alois Hitler Junior, the half-brother of Adolf, worked in The Shelbourne Hotel as a waiter in 1909. Alois Hitler Junior had served time in prison in Austria for theft before he ended up in Dublin. Regardless, it was here in the Shelbourne Hotel in 1909 that he would meet his future wife Bridget Dowling.
Bridget & Alois eloped to London in 1910 and the following year 1911 Bridget gave birth to their only child, William Patrick Hitler who was born in Liverpool.
Later on in the 1930s William Patrick visited his Uncle Adolf Hitler in Germany hoping to take advantage of his Uncle’s growing prominence and popularity in Germany at that time.
Initially their relationship was cordial but something changed that lead to a disagreement between the two leading to Adolf later describing William Patrick as his “insufferable nephew”.
William Patrick escaped Germany soon after just before the outbreak of World War Two and headed back to the UK. Later he emigrated to the United States and the irony of all ironies he then joined the US Army in 1944 to fight against his Uncle for the Allies in World War Two.
William Patrick served three years in the US Army as a Pharmacist’s Mate and was awarded a Purple Heart for his endeavours. He later got married to a lady called Phyllis, where they settled in New York raising four children and he ran a successful healthcare business.
So it may seem bizarre to learn that Hitler’s nephew fought against him in World War Two and the story all started in Dublin’s most famous Hotel being The Shelbourne Hotel.
If you found this interesting then look up details on Dublin Hidden History Private Tour where you will learn all these bizarre and unique stories of Dublin City’s History.
Feel free to watch the Video below outlining more details on the story of Alois Hitler in The Shelbourne Hotel and also more unique and bizarre stories about The Shelbourne Hotel
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