In a small French town, two politicians are going head-to-head – but drawing attention for his or her names.
Hittler and Zielinski are each running for mayor within the town of Arcis-sur-Aube, with a population of just 2,785.
Charles Hittler is running for re-election within the town, but said his opponent’s name, Zielinski, has made the campaign go ‘completely crazy’.
He told the BBC: ‘All my life I’ve had the occasional joke made about my name. Sometimes people drew moustaches on my election posters. It was never a giant deal.
‘But now it’s uncontrolled. I’ve seen online articles saying ‘37% of the people of Arcis are Hitlerites!’. My wife is in tears.’
But the eye is drawing away from the actual issues within the town, Hittler said.
‘If people were talking concerning the town and our policies, that will be one thing. But all they’re fascinated about is our names,’ he added.
Hittler’s father considered changing his name after the Second World War, but said it was a ‘huge administrative headache’ and would have been expensive, so he didn’t.
The name is disappearing, nevertheless. As for his opponent, Zielinski, a member of the far-right Patriot movement, the name goes strong.
Antoine Renault-Zielinski, 28, said he’s often asked if he’s related to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but said it’s completely different.
Zielinski said: ‘I can see why people find it amusing. Personally, it doesn’t make me laugh, but it surely doesn’t trouble me either.
‘It could be higher if people were talking about Arcis for other reasons, but no less than we’re on the map.’
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Last autumn, Adolf Hitler won a seat in his constituency in northern Namibia.
No, not that Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler Uunona, a 59-year-old politician, won his seat yet again in a landslide election.
Despite his namesake, Hitler is a extremely popular politician in his small town with 5,000 residents, working on anti-apartheid efforts.
He previously said he wasn’t aware of his name’s origins, adding: ‘It doesn’t mean I even have Adolf Hitler’s character or resemble that of Adolf Hitler of Germany.’
After his win, he said he desires to be referred to by his other surname, Uunona.
‘My name will not be Adolf Hitler. I’m Adolf Uunona. Up to now, I even have been called Adolf Hitler, they usually have tried to associate me with someone I don’t even know,’ he told BILD.
‘My wife calls me Adolf.’
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