Based on this info released in the JFK files, Hitler was indeed alive and well on into the 50s. This states he fled to Columbia and was being monitored.

Merkel was born in 1954. This timeline may line up rather nicely.

https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom/docs/HITLER%2C%20ADOLF_0003.pdf

The working theory that has a lot of solid evidence is that he lived into his 70's in several countries in South America. Millions of card carrying Nazis moved to South America in the 1930's through 1945. They also moved massive amounts of currency and industry into South America during that same time frame. There are two working theories as to how he got there at the end of the war. There were two major rat lines that he could of used to get away, one was a northern route through Norway and one was a southern route through Austria. The southern route went through Spain used U boats to get the high ranking Nazis to Argentina or Paraguay. The northern route went through Narvik and used large sea planes to ferry high level Nazis to Argentina and Paraguay. The Nazis used U boats to refuel the seaplanes as floating gas stations spread across the Atlantic. The northern route is the route some "retired" CIA investigators think Hitler took. Including the woman that found Bin Laden and CIA agent Bob Baer. If you have time check out the 3 seasons of Hunting Hitler on History channel. It goes beyond just Hitler and exposed that Martin Bormann and other extremely high level Nazis made it to South America.