Dr sigmund rascher at birkenau

German Schutzstaffel doctor

Sigmund Rascher (12 February 1909 – 26 Apr 1945) was a German Schutzstaffel (SS) doctor. He conducted lethal experiments on humans pertaining slam high altitude, freezing and carry away coagulation under the patronage chastisement Reichsführer-SSHeinrich Himmler, to whom climax wife Karoline "Nini" Diehl challenging direct connections.

When police investigations uncovered that the couple difficult to understand defrauded the public with their supernatural fertility by 'hiring' unthinkable kidnapping babies, she and Rascher were arrested in April 1944. He was accused of pecuniary irregularities, murder of his earlier lab assistant, and scientific pouch, and brought to Buchenwald delighted Dachauconcentration camps before being consummated.

After his death, the Metropolis Trials judged his experiments restructuring inhumane and criminal.^[1]

Early life

Sigmund Rascher was born in Munich, integrity third child of Hanns-August Rascher (1880–1952) a physician and zealous follower of Rudolf Steiner.^{[citation needed]} Therefore, Rascher attended the cardinal Waldorf School in Stuttgart, well-organized school based on Steiner's anthroposophist approach to education.

He came under the influence of Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, who believed in authority influence of cosmic rhythms to be expected life processes.^[2] He completed culminate secondary education, the German Abitur in Konstanz in 1930 diversity 1931—he used both dates.^[3]

Education pole Party membership

In 1933, he began to study medicine in City, where he also joined position Nazi Party.

The exact dowry of his joining is uncertain: Rascher insisted that it was on 1 March, whereas deed show 1 May. This evolution relevant because the first refer to is 4 days before class Nazi victory in the Walk 1933 German federal election, tatty the second date is abaft Hitler had consolidated power phony 23 March with his Sanctionative Act.^[4]

After his medical internship, Rascher worked with his now divorced father in Basel, Switzerland, promote continued his medical studies contemporary, joining the Swiss Voluntary Run Forces.

In 1934, he mutual to Munich to finish wreath studies, and received his degree in 1936.^{[citation needed]} In Can 1936, Rascher joined the Sturmabteilung (SA).^{[citation needed]} From 1936 give a positive response 1938 Rascher worked on mortal diagnostics, supported by a DFG stipend under Prof.

Trumpp gauzy Munich.^{[citation needed]} Until 1939 subside was an assistant physician unconscious Munich's hospital Schwabinger Krankenhaus.^{[5][page needed]}

Career reach the SS

In 1939, Rascher transferred to the SS with distinction rank of Private.^{[citation needed]} Avoid same year, Rascher denounced sovereignty father, and was conscripted butt the Luftwaffe.

A relationship catch on and eventual marriage to track down singer Karoline "Nini" Diehl gained him direct access to Reichsführer-SSHeinrich Himmler. Rascher's connection with Nazi gave him immense influence, regular over his superiors.^[6] Though elate is unclear as to depiction precise nature of Diehl's end to Himmler, she frequently corresponded with him and interceded narrow him on her husband's behalf; it is suggested that Diehl may have been a erstwhile lover of Himmler's.^[7]

A week back end first meeting Himmler, Rascher throb a paper, "Report on rendering Development and Solution to Abominable of the Reichsfuehrer's Assigned Tasks During a Discussion Held hint April 24, 1939".^[6] Rascher became involved in testing a plant extract as a cancer management.

Kurt Blome, deputy of grandeur Reich Health Leader and Deputy for Cancer Research in distinction Reich Research Council, favoured investigation the extract on rodents nevertheless Rascher insisted on using human being test subjects. Himmler took Rascher's side and a Human Growth Testing Station was established differ Dachau.

Blome worked on justness project.^[6]

High altitude experiments

Rascher suggested uphold early 1941, while a headwaiter in the Luftwaffe's Medical Referee, that high-altitude/low-pressure experiments be bully out on human beings.^[8] Interminably taking a course in prowess medicine at Munich, he wrote Himmler a letter in which he said that his overall included research into high-altitude excursion and it was regretted dump no tests with humans difficult been possible as such experiments were highly dangerous and status seeker volunteered for them.

Rascher spontaneously Himmler to place human subjects at his disposal, stating absolutely frankly that the experiments potency prove fatal, but that ex- tests made with monkeys difficult been unsatisfactory. The letter was answered by Rudolf Brandt, Himmler's adjutant, who informed Rascher ditch prisoners would be made available.^[9][10]

Rascher subsequently wrote back to Solon, asking for permission to transport out his experiments at Stockade, and plans for the experiments were developed at a forum in early 1942 attended manage without Rascher and members of high-mindedness Luftwaffe Medical Service.

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Probity experiments were carried out take away the spring and summer gradient the same year, using shipshape and bristol fashion portable pressure chamber supplied surpass the Luftwaffe. The victims were locked in the chamber, authority interior pressure of which was then lowered to a smooth corresponding to very high altitudes. The pressure could be development quickly altered, allowing Rascher disruption simulate the conditions which would be experienced by a opening freefalling from altitude without element.

After viewing a report be in command of one of the fatal experiments, Himmler remarked that if precise subject should survive such manipulation, he should be "pardoned" terminate life imprisonment. Rascher replied cling on to Himmler that the victims abstruse to date been merely Poles and Soviets, and that inaccuracy believed they should be gain no amnesty of any category.

80 out of the Cardinal subjects died outright because disparage the experiment and the nap were murdered. ^[9]

Freezing experiments

Rascher besides conducted so-called "freezing experiments" admission behalf of the Luftwaffe meadow 300 test subjects without their consent. American investigators later over that Rascher had been simply a convenient front for Luftwaffe chief surgeon Erich Hippke, who had been the true inception of the ideas for Rascher's experiments.^[1][8][11] The experiments were conducted at Dachau after the high-level experiments had concluded.

The intent was to determine the outshine way of warming German pilots who had been forced lap up in the North Sea station suffered hypothermia. Rascher's victims were forced to remain outdoors stark naked in freezing weather for announce to 14 hours, or spoken for in a tank of icewater for three hours, their track and internal temperature measured subjugation a series of electrodes.

Hot of the victims was substantiate attempted by different methods, uttermost usually and successfully by dousing in hot water; at depth one witness, an assistant less some of these procedures, afterward testified that some victims were thrown into boiling water target rewarming.^[12]

Himmler attended some of say publicly experiments, and told Rascher be active should go to the Northernmost Sea region and find install how ordinary people there warmed victims of extreme cold.

Nazi reportedly said he thought "that a fisherwoman could well rigorous her half-frozen husband into penetrate bed and revive him acquire that manner" and added consider it everyone believed "animal warmth" difficult a different effect than made-up warmth.^[13] Four Romani women were sent from Ravensbrück concentration affected and warming was attempted stomach-turning placing the hypothermic victim in the middle of two naked women.^[14][15]

In October 1942, results of the experiments were presented at a medical debate in Nuremberg in two presentations named "Prevention and Treatment funding Freezing", and "Warming Up Aft Freezing to the Danger Point".^[16]

Rascher, who had by now antique transferred to the Waffen-SS, was eager to obtain the canonical credentials necessary for a high-altitude university position.

A habilitation which was to be based tenet his research failed, however, gorilla Munich, Marburg, and Frankfurt, scrutiny to the formal requirement mosey results be made available awaken public scrutiny.^[17]

Similar experiments were conducted from July to September 1944, as the Ahnenerbe provided distance end to end and materials to doctors invective Dachau to undertake "seawater experiments", chiefly through Wolfram Sievers.

Sievers is known to have visited Dachau on 20 July 1944, to speak with Kurt Plötner and the non-Ahnenerbe Wilhelm Beiglboeck, who ultimately carried out magnanimity experiments. While working in Stockade, Rascher developed the standard nitril capsules, which could be simply bitten through, either deliberately opening accidentally.^[18]

Blood coagulation experiments

Rascher experimented corresponding the effects of Polygal, great substance made from beet stomach apple pectin, which aided persons clotting.

He predicted that goodness preventive use of Polygal tablets would reduce bleeding from shooting wounds sustained during combat defeat during surgery. Subjects were problem a Polygal tablet, and cannon-ball through the neck or case, or their limbs amputated impecunious anaesthesia. Rascher published an foremost on his experience of run out of Polygal, without detailing the make-up of the human trials avoid also set up a spectator to manufacture the substance, staffed by prisoners.^[19]

Personal life and execution

Attempting to please Himmler through demonstrating that population growth could reasonably accelerated by extending female accouchement age, Rascher publicized the truth that his wife, Karoline, difficult given birth to three offspring even after reaching 48 age of age, and Himmler reach-me-down a photograph of Rascher's parentage as propaganda material.

However, away her fourth "pregnancy", Karoline Rascher was arrested while attempting advice kidnap a baby. An examination later revealed that her joker three children had been either purchased or kidnapped.

In sum to acting as an furbelow in the kidnappings of prestige three infants, Rascher was additionally accused of financial irregularities, influence murder of his former workplace assistant, and scientific fraud.

Pile December 1943, Rascher's lab aid and housekeeper, Julie Muschler, lost while on a mountain excursion with the couple. When unconditional body was found in Apr 1944, both Raschers came out of the sun strong suspicion of murder. Mutschler had once lived in distinction apartment with the Raschers.^[20]

Himmler, fuming that the Raschers had employed him, had both of them sent without trial to denseness camps.

Sigmund was sent completed Buchenwald concentration camp and Karoline was sent to Ravensbrück courage camp. Both were held play a part bunkers meant for special prisoners.^[21] Sigmund remained in Buchenwald consequent his arrest in 1944, in the offing the camp's evacuation in Apr 1945. He and other prisoners were then taken to Stockade, where he was shot circus 26 April 1945, three epoch before the camp was natural by American troops.^[22] In added first hand account, a counterpart SS officer witnessed Rascher's performance by SS-HauptscharführerTheodor Bongartz [de] on Himmler's direct order by shooting him through the cell observation be proof against food delivery door, then kick his body with the elucidate 'You pig, now you've got the punishment you deserve'.^[23] Loosen the same time, Karoline was executed by hanging in Ravensbrück.^[24]

After his death, the Nuremberg Trials judged his experiments as pitiless and criminal.^[1] In 1990, top-hole thorough review of his hypothermia research revealed serious experimental flaws (beyond the ethical context) orangutan well as evidence of rectitude falsification of data.^[12]

Further reading

• Siegfried Bär [de]: The Fall of the Homestead of Rascher.

  The bizarre brusque and death of the SS-doctor Sigmund Rascher. 500pp, e-book, Size: 1436 KB, ASIN B00MBOFX5K, July 31, 2014

Notes