His father - Alois - was fifty-one when Hitler was born. He was short-tempered, strict and brutal. It is known that he frequently hit the young Hitler. Alois had an elder son from a previous marriage but he had ended up in jail for theft. Some believe that the background of Alois was a potential source of embarrassment for the future leader of Nazi Germany. Alois was a civil servant. This was a respectable job in Brannau.