'Adolf Hitler' Elected in Landslide

The people of Oshana, Namibia, have spoken, electing a regional councilman by the name of Adolf Hitler. His full name is Adolf Hitler Uunona—he's named in election materials as Adolf H. Uunona—and like his namesake, he's no stranger to politics, having served as a councilman for at least 15 years, reports Newsweek. With his latest win, however, he apparently felt the need to distance himself from the leader of Nazi Germany. "The fact I have this name does not mean I want to conquer Oshana," he told Germany's Bild newspaper, per Newsweek. "It doesn't mean I'm striving for world domination."

Uunona said his father had named him after the Fuehrer, though "he probably didn't understand what Adolf Hitler stood for." Namibia is a former German colony, and people and places still carry German names, including Adolf, per the BBC. "As a child I saw it as a totally normal name," said Uunona. "Only as a teenager did I understand that this man wanted to conquer the whole world," he added, per Newsweek. He noted it was now too late to change his name, and residents don't seem concerned. Uunona, of the ruling SWAPO party, won a seat on the regional council with 85% of the vote. He received 1,196 votes compared to 213 for his opponent. (More Namibia stories.)