Philippe Charlier

Charlier at work

Philippe Charlier is a French coroner, forensic pathologist and paleopathologist. ^[1] In addition to various significant French figures, he has analyzed the dental remains of Adolf Hitler, citing them as confirming the dictator's death in Berlin amid various fringe theories.

Biography

Charlier was born in Meaux on 25 June 1977. His father is a doctor, his mother a pharmacist. He made his first dig at the age of 10, when he found a human skull. He studied archaeology and art history at the Michelet Institute and was part of the forensic department at Raymond Poincaré University Hospital. ^{[2] [3]}

Charlier's work has focused on the remains of Richard Lionheart, Agnès Sorel, Fulk III, Count of Anjou, Diane de Poitiers, relics of Louis IX scattered in France, false relics of Joan of Arc, and the presumed head of Henry IV. ^{[4] [5]}

Hitler's dental remains

Hitler's dental remains, cited as the only hard evidence of his death

In 2017, Charlier reconfirmed the authenticity of Adolf Hitler's dental remains, the only remains of the Nazi dictator ever confirmed to have been found, finding the maxillar bridge and mandibular fragment (broken off around the alveolar process) ^[6] to agree with their description by the Soviets. ^{[7] [8] [a]} The remains were exhaustively matched to Hitler's complicated dentistry, showing a lack of meat particles—in agreement with his diet. ^[9] Charlier's team did not detect gunpowder residue, implying that Hitler did not die by a gunshot through the mouth (as suggested by key eyewitness Artur Axmann). ^{[9] [10]} Deposits of a blue powder were suggested as possibly showing that a cyanide pill was taken (in combination with an alleged gunshot through the temples). ^{[9] [b] [c]}

Charlier cites the teeth as confirming Hitler's death amid various fringe theories that he survived by fleeing to South America. ^[16] The pathologist disregarded 2009 DNA analysis revealing that a gunshot-damaged occipital bone fragment (long claimed to be Hitler's) actually belonged to a woman. ^[17] He has also bolstered the propagandistic Soviet account of an alleged autopsy, ^{[9] [18] [19]} while not addressing the possibility of partial mandibulectomy and deception by eyewitnesses. ^[20]

References

Footnotes

1. The 2018 article notes, "It is important to see that these data fit perfectly with the [Soviet] autopsy report and with our direct observations." ^[9]
2. To explain the lack of evidence of a bullet, Anton Joachimsthaler theorized in 1995 that after Hitler fired his pistol at contact range, the bullet passed through one temple and became lodged inside the other, causing a hematoma that looked like the temple exit wound reported by some eyewitnesses. ^{[11] [12]} Joachimsthaler cited a 1925 study which—contrarily—supports full exits from shots fired transversely at contact range. ^{[11] [13]}
3. During his interoggation by the Soviets, Heinz Linge reportedly told one of their agents—undercover as a fellow captured German—that only he and Martin Bormann knew the true circumstances of Hitler's death. Linge repeatedly said he would not crack to his captors and suggested that Hitler's temple wound seemed like it could have been painted on. ^{[14] [15]}

Citations

1. "Médecin des morts. Récits de paléopathologie". L'Histoire (in French). December 2006. Retrieved 30 October 2018..
2. "Comme un poisson dans l'os". Libération (in French). 9 December 2006. Retrieved 30 October 2018..
3. "Philippe Charlier, l'homme qui révèle le secret des morts". Le Figaro (in French). 28 June 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2018..
4. "Philippe Charlier, le médecin des têtes couronnées". Le Parisien (in French). 9 October 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2018..
5. Charlier P, Huynh-Charlier I, Poupon J, Keyser C, Lancelot E, Favier D, Vignal JN, Sorel P, Chaillot PF, Boano R, Grilletto R, Delacourte S, Duriez JM, Loublier Y, Campos P, Willerslev E, Gilbert MT, Eisenberg L, Ludes B, de la Grandmaison GL (2010). "Multidisciplinary medical identification of a French king's head (Henri IV)". BMJ. 341 (341) c6805. doi:10.1136/bmj.c6805. hdl: 2318/81995 . PMID   21156748. S2CID   23978748.
6. Bezymenski, Lev (1968). The Death of Adolf Hitler (1st ed.). New York: Harcourt, Brace & World. p. 45.
7. Brisard & Parshina 2018, pp. 224, 273–274.
8. O'Malley, J. P. (4 September 2018). "Putin grants authors partial access to secret Soviet archives on Hitler's death". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
9. Charlier, Philippe; Weil, Raphael; Rainsard, P.; Poupon, Joël; Brisard, J.C. (1 May 2018). "The remains of Adolf Hitler: A biomedical analysis and definitive identification". European Journal of Internal Medicine . 54: e10 –e12. doi:10.1016/j.ejim.2018.05.014. PMID   29779904. S2CID   29159362.
10. "Axmann, Artur, interviewed on January 7, 1948 and January 9, 1948. - Musmanno Collection -- Interrogations of Hitler Associates". Gumberg Library Digital Collections. pp. 30–31. Retrieved 31 August 2025– via Duquesne University.
11. Joachimsthaler, Anton (2000) [1995]. The Last Days of Hitler: The Legends, The Evidence, The Truth. Translated by Helmut Bölger. London: Cassell. pp. 161–164, 166. ISBN   978-1-85409-465-0.
12. Brisard & Parshina 2018, pp. 231–232.
13. Berg, Gerichtsarzt (1 December 1925). "Die Durchschlagskraft der Pistolengeschosse im lebenden Körper". Deutsche Zeitschrift für die gesamte gerichtliche Medizin (in German). 5 (1): 553–560. doi:10.1007/BF01748960. ISSN   1437-1596.
14. Felton, Mark (2023). "The 'Hitler' Body". Find the Führer: The Secret Soviet Investigation. Episode 3. 21 minutes in.
15. Brisard & Parshina 2018, p. 262.
16. Selk, Avi (20 May 2018). "Scientists say Hitler died in WWII. Tell that to 'Adolf Schüttelmayor' and the Nazi moon base". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
17. ABC News (9 December 2009). "DNA Test Sparks Controversy Over Hitler's Remains". ABC News. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
18. Danny Jones Clips (16 June 2025). Top Forensic Scientist Discovers How Hitler Really Died (Not How You Think) | Philippe Charlier. 7 minutes in. Retrieved 29 August 2025– via YouTube.
19. "Hitlers letzte Reise". Der Spiegel (in German). 19 July 1992. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
20. Multiple sources:
    • "Axmann, Artur, interviewed on October 10, 1947. - Musmanno Collection -- Interrogations of Hitler Associates". Gumberg Library Digital Collections. p. 6. Retrieved 28 August 2025– via Duquesne University. Axmann believes that ... the impact of the shot fired into [Hitler's] mouth destroyed his dental fixtures
    • Bachand, William R. (14 December 2021). "Three Techniques for Mandibular Block Anesthesia". Decisions in Dentistry. Retrieved 28 August 2024. Halsted utilized [a] syringe and cocaine to block the inferior alveolar nerve.
    • Gross, Terry (7 March 2017). "Author Says Hitler Was 'Blitzed' On Cocaine And Opiates During The War". NPR . Retrieved 19 May 2025.
    • "International: Where There's Smoke ..." Time . 2 July 1945. ISSN   0040-781X . Retrieved 20 May 2025.
    • "Mandibulectomy". THANC Guide. 22 November 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
    • O'Malley, J. P. (4 September 2018). "Putin grants authors partial access to secret Soviet archives on Hitler's death". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 19 May 2025. Baur said to the other two witnesses, 'Never say what really happened.'

Sources

• Brisard, Jean-Christophe; Parshina, Lana (2018). The Death of Hitler. Da Capo Press. ISBN   978-0-306-92258-9.