In medical terms, a testicle that fails to descend does not disappear, but rather does not complete its natural descent into the scrotum during fetal development. The testicles initially form in the abdomen, near the kidneys, and in the final weeks of gestation descend through the inguinal canal into the scrotum. When this process is interrupted, the testicle may remain in the abdomen or at some point along its path, becoming neither visible nor palpable externally. Although most cases correct themselves during the first year of life, sometimes a surgical procedure—called orchiopexy—is necessary to reposition the testicle. If left untreated, the testicle may experience functional impairment or an increased risk of future problems, such as infertility or tumors.
DNA analysis of Adolf Hitler shows that he had only one testicle and a micropenis
A Channel 4 documentary vindicates a famous British folk song from World War II, which mocked the Nazi dictator
London"Hitler only had one…". Regarding the famous music from the film The Bridge over the River Kwai –a British military march composed in 1914, and which was adapted ad hoc For the David Lean and Alec Guinness film—during World War II and even many decades later, all British children grew up singing an irreverent song mocking the Nazi leader. The title: Hitler has only got one ball (Hitler only has one eggThe full lyrics say: "Hitler only has one testicle / Göring has two, but very small ones / Himmler has something similar / but poor Goebbels has none / Hitler only has one testicle / the other one is in the old Town Hall / his mother stole the other one / and now Hitler has none."
Now, it turns out that this rather puerile satire has a scientific basis. Because eighty years after Hitler's suicide in a Berlin bunker, traces of his dried blood can rewrite part of the mystery surrounding him and would also justify the reason for the song. This Saturday, the British channel Channel 4 broadcasts the documentary – in two parts – Hitler's DNA: Blueprint of a dictatorA program combining cutting-edge genetic technology and historical analysis has produced the first DNA profile of the German dictator. Among the most surprising findings is that he suffered from a mutation in the PROK2 gene, associated with Kallmann syndrome, which can cause undescended testicles. "We cannot state with absolute certainty that Hitler was monorchid—that he had only one testicle—but the mutation is there and it aligns with the rumor that inspired the British song," says Turi King, the geneticist in charge of the analysis, who also stated that the tests indicate the dictator had...
![Image of the German dictator Adolf Hitler in his youth.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 1108 1600"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Turi King is the forensic geneticist leading the project and is known for having identified the remains of King Richard III in 2012. Historian Alex J. Kay also collaborated on the project. Both propose an unusual interpretation: to what extent can biology explain, or not, the personality traits of a man who caused the deaths of more than 50 million people?
From the rumor in the laboratory
It all started with a childhood memory. "I grew up in Canada, but when I arrived in the UK I discovered that everyone knew the song Hitler has only got one ball"It was a national joke," King explained to the network, "a way to defuse the most feared figure of the 20th century with a laugh." And I thought: what if we checked if the song actually had any scientific basis? What the geneticist says is absolutely true. Even this correspondent has friends over 50 who know the song, which they sang in the schoolyard, where all the children learned it.
In 2018, a team from the production company Blink Films located a small piece of blood-stained fabric in the United States, which had come from the sofa where Hitler is believed to have died. The analysis was conducted by independent laboratories, and according to King, "the result was unequivocal: the DNA exactly matches that of a male relative of the Hitler family who had been previously analyzed." Mulders and historian Marc Vermeeren, who had previously obtained saliva samples from a relative of Hitler in Austria, were also involved. King's analysis showed an "exact match": it was the first time in history that the dictator's DNA had been identified.
"It's not all about genetics"
Dr. Alex J. Kay, author ofEmpire of destructionKay makes a distinction: "It's tempting to attribute Hitler's violence or paranoia to his genes, but this would be a dangerous oversimplification. DNA can reveal predispositions, not destinies." Kay recalls in the documentary that the dictator lost four siblings and both parents before the age of 18, and that "this string of losses can be as decisive in shaping his personality as any genetic mutation." The documentary also presents polygenic results that place Hitler in the top 10% of the population in terms of predisposition to antisocial behavior, and in the top 1% in markers associated with autism and schizophrenia. But King insists that this data should not be interpreted in a stigmatizing way: "The vast majority of people with these genetic variants live completely normal lives. What Hitler did is not a consequence of his DNA, but of a political and social system that propelled him to power." The documentary team has not shied away from the connection to popular culture. The first episode, in fact, opens with the famous melody Colonel Bogey March and archival footage of British soldiers laughing and whistling as they marched across Europe. "This song was a symbolic weapon," King explains. "It served to ridicule the world's most feared enemy, and to humanize him. Now, genetics allows us to understand the extent to which the joke might have contained a grain of truth." According to Kay, "it's a fascinating historical irony: Hitler, who promoted an ideology based on racial purity, would have been condemned by the very biological criteria he championed." "If he had seen his own genome," he adds, "perhaps he would have ordered his own execution," a speculation perhaps difficult to accept at this point.
The researchers admit that the project has generated discomfort. Several European archives initially refused to collaborate with them. "Hitler's name still carries enormous weight," King says. "We wanted to proceed with all due ethical prudence: without sensationalism, without exploiting the pain of the victims, and making it clear that genetics cannot absolve or condemn anyone." The professor believes that, beyond scientific curiosity, the documentary invites reflection on collective responsibility: "Hitler did not act alone. Thousands of people followed him, and not all of them shared his genetic makeup. Understanding this is essential to avoid repeating history."
