Trials of war criminals before the Nuernberg military tribunals under control council law no. 10, volume IVarious
Philosophy
Trials of war criminals before the Nuernberg military tribunals under control council law no. 10, volume I
Various
Nuremberg Trial of Major German War Criminals, Nuremberg, Germany, 1945-1946; War crime trials -- Germany -- Nuremberg
for this type of freezing experiment, but in reality, 360 to 400
experiments were conducted since many experimental subjects were used
two or three times for experiments. Approximately 80 to 90 experimental
subjects died. About 50 to 60 inmates were used in the
Holzloehner-Finke-Rascher experiments and approximately 15 to 18 of them
died. Political prisoners, non-German nationals, and prisoners of war
were used for these experiments. Many of the inmates used had not been
“condemned to death.” The subjects did not volunteer for the
experiments. (_Tr. pp. 627-8._)
Even though one assumes that prisoners condemned to death were used in
all of the experiments, which is not true, the “defense” that they
volunteered on the agreement that their sentences would be commuted to
life imprisonment is invalid. During the high-altitude experiments,
Himmler had directed that in further experiments where the long
continued heart activity of subjects who were killed was observed,
criminals condemned to death should be used and, if they were revived,
they should be “pardoned” to concentration camp for life. (_1971-B-PS,
Pros. Ex. 51._) Rascher apparently construed this order to apply to the
freezing experiments also. On 20 October 1942, Rascher advised Rudolf
Brandt that until then only Poles and Russians had been used for such
experiments and that only some of these persons had been condemned to
death. He inquired whether Himmler’s “amnesty” applied to Russians and
Poles. (_1971-D-PS, Pros. Ex. 52._) Brandt told him that it did not
apply. (_1971-E-PS, Pros. Ex. 53._)
Dry-freezing experiments were carried out by Rascher in January,
February, and March 1943. One experimental subject was placed on a
stretcher at night and exposed to the cold outdoors. He was covered with
a linen sheet, but a bucket of cold water was poured over him every
hour. He remained outdoors until the morning and then his temperature
was taken with a thermometer. In the next series the experimental plan
was changed, and experimental persons had to remain naked outdoors for
long hours without being covered up at all. One series was carried out
on 10 prisoners who had to remain outdoors overnight. Rascher himself
was present during approximately 18 to 20 experiments of that type.
Approximately three experimental subjects died as a result of the
dry-freezing experiments. (_Tr. pp. 636-7._)
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