Politician named Adolf Hitler set to win election in southern African country

A Namibian politician named Adolf Hitler is set to secure another term in local office, saying his father had no understanding of the Nazi leader when choosing his name.

Adolf Hitler Uunona, 59, is expected to win the Ompundja constituency in northern Namibia on Nov. 26, following his strong 85% victory in the 2020 local elections. A member of the left-leaning Swapo party, Uunona gained international attention for his unusual name.

Adolf Hitler addressing a crowd with his right arm raised. — Adolf Hitler Uunona claims his father had no idea about the Nazi leader’s significance. Corbis via Getty Images

“My father probably didn’t know what Adolf Hitler stood for. As a child, I thought it was just a normal name,” Uunona told the German newspaper Bild in 2020. “Only later did I realize this man wanted to conquer the world. I have nothing to do with any of that.”

Uunona Adolf Hitler, Oshana Regional Councillor, seated at a desk. — Adolf Hitler Uunona, 59, is poised to win a second local election in the southwest African country of Namibia. Oshana Regional Council

A group of emaciated male concentration camp prisoners, some wearing striped clothes and some shirtless. — The member of the left-wing Swapo party previously spoke about his infamous name after coming to global attention. Getty Images

While his wife calls him Adolf, he typically drops “Hitler” in public. He has no plans to change it, noting that it appears on all official documents and “it’s too late for that.”

Namibia, a former German colony, still has Germanic place names, and first names such as Adolf are not uncommon. In 2020, a car in Uunona’s home region of Oshana displayed the name “Adolf Hitler” along with a Nazi swastika, though Uunona denied any connection to the vehicle or its message.

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