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
On 15 June 1942, Rascher informed Himmler that the Inspector of the
Medical Service of the Luftwaffe, Hippke, sought permission for cold
experiments to be conducted by Rascher and Holzloehner in the Dachau
concentration camp. (_NO-283, Pros. Ex. 82._) On 10 September 1942,
Rascher submitted his first intermediary report on the freezing
experiments to Himmler. In the covering letter Rascher stated that
Holzloehner, who participated in the execution of the experiments on
behalf of the Luftwaffe, intended to lecture on the subject of freezing
in the “cold conference” of the Luftwaffe on 26-27 October in Nuernberg.
Rascher informed Himmler that “Sievers, who surveyed the experiments in
Dachau last week, believed that if any report was to be made at a
meeting, I should be called upon to submit the report.” (_NO-234, Pros.
Ex. 83._) The intermediary report itself shows on its face that
fatalities occurred as a result of the Rascher-Holzloehner-Finke
experiments and advocated rapid rewarming of severely chilled persons.
Rascher considered that rewarming with animal heat would be too slow,
and that experiments in this respect would be unnecessary. He voiced a
similar opinion as to the use of drugs for the purpose of rewarming.
(_1618-PS, Pros. Ex. 34._) Himmler, when acknowledging the receipt of
Rascher’s report on 22 September, directed nevertheless that the
experiment with rewarming by means of drugs and body heat should be
made. A copy of this order of Himmler’s was forwarded to Sievers on 25
September. (_1611-PS, Pros. Ex. 85._)
On the basis of this order Rascher approached Sievers to make
arrangements for four female gypsies to be procured at once for the
purpose of rewarming experimental subjects. (_NO-285, Pros. Ex. 86._) It
was apparently Sievers’ effort in this regard which resulted in a series
of telegrams to transfer these women from the Ravensbrueck concentration
camp to Dachau. Rudolf Brandt actually directed the transfer. (_1619-PS,
Pros. Ex. 87._) The four women arrived in November 1942 in Dachau. Three
of them were used for rewarming of frozen experimental subjects, one
being excluded because she was a “Nordic” type. That the experimental
subjects were not volunteers is plain from a remark of one of these
women. “Rather half a year in the brothel than half a year in the
concentration camp.” (_NO-323, Pros. Ex. 94._) This series of
experiments, which was not only murderous but obscene, was carried out
by Rascher between November 1942 and February 1943. His report to
Himmler reveals that one of the experimental subjects died as a result
of this series of experiments. (_1616-PS, Pros. Ex. 105._)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account