Adolf Hitler Uunona, 59, has won a fifth term as regional councilor for Ompundja in Namibia’s Oshana Region. After his win, he said he will drop the infamous “Hitler” from his name.
In an interview with The Namibian, Uunona said his father probably did not understand the meaning of the name when he gave it to him. “My name is not Adolf Hitler,” he said. “I am Adolf Uunona. In the past, people have called me ‘Adolf Hitler’ and tried to connect me to someone I do not know.”
Uunona said he has already removed “Hitler” from his official identity documents and now wants to be called Adolf Uunona.
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He has often said he has no connection to the Nazi leader. After his 2020 reelection, he told Germany’s Bild, “As a child I saw it as a normal name. It was only when I grew up that I realized this man wanted to control the world. I have nothing to do with that.” He added that his wife has always called him simply “Adolf.”
Even in 2004, when he first won office, Uunona spoke about the difficulties of having the name. “Just because I have this name does not mean I want to conquer Oshana,” he told the Times (U.K.).
Namibia, once called German South West Africa, has many German names. The country also has a painful history, including a 1904 to 1908 revolt in which German forces killed thousands of Nama, Herero, and San people.
The official vote count from the November 26 election has not been released, but reports say Uunona won by a large margin. He is popular for his work in the community and focus on anti-apartheid issues, earning 85% of the vote in 2020.