In 1885, after numerous affairs and two other marriages ended, the widowed Alois Hitler, 48, married the pregnant Klara Polzl, 24, the granddaughter of his uncle Hiedler. Klara was technically Alois" niece after his name change, so he had to get special permission from the Catholic Church to marry. Alois" two children, Alois Jr. and Angela, from his previous marriage resided with he and Klara on a small farm outside of Linz Austria ("The Rise of Hitler").
Klara had three other children before the birth of Adolf, but they all died. When Adolf was born he was baptized Roman Catholic. Adolf's father, Alois, was now 52 years old. Throughout Adolf's early life his mother feared losing him, even though he was very healthy. His mother lavished him with an abundance of care and affection. Adolf had the nickname of Adi and when he was five-years-old in 1893, his mother gave birth to a brother, Edmund. Then in 1896 she gave birth to a sister, Paula ("The Rise of Hitler").
In May of 1895, Adolf at six-years-old, entered the first grade at the public school located in the village of Fischlhalm, near Linz Austria. Two important events occurred during this time in his life. First, the carefree days he had enjoyed had come to an end when he entered primary school. Secondly, his father retired from the Austrian civil service at the age of 58. What this meant to Adolf was a double dose of supervision, discipline and regimentation under the watchful eyes of his strict father and school teachers. His father was used to giving orders and having them obeyed . . . especially by his children ("The Rise of Hitler").
At the age of 7, Adolf's older half brother Alois Jr., 14, ran away from home because of harsh words and beatings from their discontented father. Alois Jr. never returned to see his father. This put Adolf next in line to receive the same treatment from their father. Also at this time, the Hitler Family moved off the farm into the town of Lambach, Austria, halfway between Linz and Salzburg.
