Adolf Hitler, the former chancellor of Germany, has been dead since 1945, but his legacy still looms large across the world. Though he was responsible for some of the worst atrocities of the 20th century, his influence and the scope of his impact remain a source of fascination for people scores of years after his death. Given this fascination, one might find themselves wondering how old Hitler would be now, in the year 2022. To answer this question, we must first consider both his date of birth as well as his date of death.
Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria on April 20th, 1889. This makes him 132 years old today, in 2022. Though Hitler died at the age of 56 in 1945, the years since have seen his rise in infamy. He is known as the leader of the Nazis and the main ideological perpetrator of the Holocaust. During World War II, Hitler led the Nazis in an attempt to expand their control across Europe and enacted horrendous actions towards people deemed different or inferior.
What Hitler failed to realize throughout his life is that the core of his ideology was based on hate and deceit. He relied on exploiting people’s fears and prejudices, in order to make them forget the dire consequences of his politics. He sought to portray himself as a savior, attempting to infuse a sense of national pride in his followers. Nonetheless, despite his attempts to remain in power, he eventually failed and committed suicide on April 30th, 1945.
If Adolf Hitler were alive in 2022, he would be a 133 year old man living in a world vastly different to the one he would remember. Factors such as global warming, the digital revolution and an emergence of new cultures would likely be unrecognizable to him. It is impossible to determine how his beliefs would change in the face of such rapid technological and social advancements. However, one thing is certain; no matter how much the world has changed since 1945, his legacy as a genocidal dictator will remain.
The Lasting Impact of Hitler’s Actions
The legacy of Hitler’s actions has been felt throughout the world for decades after his death. In 2022, it is estimated that the total number of victims of the Holocaust will have risen to approximately 17 million, the majority of whom were Jews. In addition, it is believed that hundreds of thousands of Roma, Sinti, homosexuals and political dissidents were also subject to Nazi brutality.
The scale of the Holocaust is often considered unprecedented in both its scope and cruelty. Hitler’s actions of genocide against the Jews have left an indelible stain upon human history, one never to be forgotten. For this reason and many others, regional and international Holocaust remembrance days have been implemented in order to remind people of the horrors of Nazi Germany.
The impact of the Holocaust on current generations is far reaching. To this day, its unbearable weight continues to echo in the hearts and minds of survivors, families, and friends of victims. Furthermore, the trauma of the Holocaust is still felt in many countries, with the memory of it being passed on through family stories and cultural traditions.
Understanding history is important to ensure that similar horrible events never occur again. It is only in this way that the full impact of Hitler’s actions can be grasped and, hopefully, avoided in the future.
Hitler’s Ideology and the Emergence of Neo-Nazis
One of the reasons Hitler was able to maintain a certain degree of power and influence was due to his attempt to maintain a “master race” ideology. This belief asserted that all members of the Germanic Aryan Race were inherently superior to all other non-Aryan Races, and thus deserved special treatment. This warped logic, along with the use of fear tactics, was one of Hitler’s primary methods of control. It came to be particularly evident in his treatment of Jewish populations during the war.
Drawing on the same misguided principles of racial supremacy, modern white nationalist and neo-Nazi movements have been given voice within certain populations in recent years. This has been especially true in the United States, where hate groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan and various other white supremacist organisations, have seen an unwelcome resurgence in power and influence. All this serves as a reminder that, in some cases, Hitler’s ideology still holds sway.
However, these movements have also been met by widespread outrage and protest, particularly in response to recent acts of violence and terror. This was particularly evident in the aftermath of the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which neo-Nazis and white supremacists were vehemently opposed by a wide array of counter-protesters. That day ultimately resulted in the death of one counter-protester, highlighting the rampant racism still present in the United States.
Though the violence of the Holocaust is largely seen as an event of the past, it is important to note that the ideology behind it still persists in the present day. In order to prevent similar events from taking place, it is necessary to take a stand against contemporary hate groups and their hateful rhetoric.
Consequences of Germany’s Nazi Legacy
The legacy of the Third Reich has left an indelible mark on Germany. Though the country has moved on and established itself as a key economic hub in the European Union, the consequences of the Nazi regime continue to linger. To this day, the population of Germany is still grappling with the legacy of its past. This is particularly true of the older generations, who feel a responsibility to remember and pass on this traumatic history.
The issue of national guilt is a complex one, which many Germans are still addressing. For decades, there was little acknowledgement of the atrocities of the Holocaust within Germany. This was to the detriment of many survivors of the Holocaust, who often felt such a silence only added to their pain. Conversely, open discussion and remembrance of the past has served to bring attention to the plight of victims and to prevent history from repeating itself.
The process of addressing Germany’s past has been made further complicated by the emergence of far-right extremist groups in recent years. Such groups actively seek to cast doubt upon the Holocaust, thus diminishing its victims’ suffering. This is especially true in the realm of digital media, with neo-Nazis increasingly relying on online news sources, blogs, and websites to spread their agenda.
Given this worrying trend, it is clear that Germany is still dealing with the aftermath of its Nazi legacy. The country must do its best to tackle the resurgence of such hate-based ideologies, while also honouring the memories of Holocaust survivors. Only by doing so can anti-Semitism and discrimination be uprooted from society.
A Path Forward in 2022
In the year 2022, it is essential that the world takes a stand against hate. Such discrimination has had a profoundly destructive factor on the past, present and potential future, so it is more vital than ever for people throughout the world to come together and condemn racism and bigotry of any kind.
Though it can be easy to assume that the horrors of the past are firmly in our rear-view mirrors, the above examples serve as a reminder that such an assumption can be false. The fight for true justice and equality has been an ongoing, albeit uphill, battle since the dawn of the 20th century. Despite the progress made by societies around the world, there is still much work to be done.
If such progress is to be made, it is essential that education and open dialogue remain at the forefront of our societal discourse. It is only in this way that the importance of Holocaust remembrance and the eradication of contemporary hate groups can be truly instilled within the public consciousness. Only then can the legacy of Adolf Hitler, and the never-ending atrocities his legacy has perpetuated, become fully understood and appreciated.
