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1 Vii: Roles of Physicians and Nurses in the “Medical” Experime

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1 Vii: Roles of Physicians and Nurses in the “Medical” Experime 1 VII: ROLES OF PHYSICIANS AND NURSES IN THE “MEDICAL” EXPERIMENTS RELATED TO “RACIAL HYGIENE” Professor Susan Benedict UT Health Science Center Houston, Texas, USA 77030 [email protected] 001-713-500-2039 Purpose of the Module: To describe the role of physicians and nurses in experiments that were based upon the notion of furthering the “science” of racial hygiene. Suggested Readings: Strzelecka, I. (2000). Experiments. In Auschwitz 1940-1945, vol. II, eds. Ditugoborski, W. and Piper, F., Oświᶒcim: Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, p. 347-369. Shelley, L. (1991). Block 10. In Crimnal Experiments on Human Beings in Auschwitz and War Research Laboratories: Twenty Women Prisoners’ Accounts. San Francisco: Mellen Research University Press, p. 22. Benedict, S. and Georges, J. (2006). Nurses and the sterilization experiments of Auschwitz. Nursing Inquiry, 13: 277-288. Suggested Videos: “Healing by Killing”, part 2. Objectives: 1. Discuss the evolution of the sterilization laws into the sterilization experiments. 2. Analyze why the “researchers” obtained written consent from the women in Block 3. Discuss the effects of the sterilization experiments on the population had the outcome of the war been different. Discussion Questions: 1. Why did the Prussian Directive of 1931, mentioned in Module 1, not prevent unethical experimentation? 2. If the physicians who conducted these medical experiments had been brought to trial, what would have been the likely charges and the likely sentences? Synopsis: Among the horrific experiments perpetrated upon concentration camp prisoners were the sterilization experiments. These experiments not only were based upon racial hygiene principles but also had the quasi-military goal of creating a cadre of slave laborers 2 who were to rebuild post-war Germany but who, because they were deemed “inferior,” would not be allowed to reproduce. In a letter written to Himmler in October 1941, the Nazi physician Dr. Adolf Pokorny, stated: If on the basis of this research we managed to produce as fast-acting as possible a medication that caused infertility quickly and imperceptibly, we would find ourselves in possession of an effective new weapon. The very thought of being able instantaneously to sterilize the three million Bolsheviks in German captivity, in such a way that they could work but would be incapable of multiplying, would open vast new perspectives.1 In June 1942, Victor Brack, director of Hitler’s Chancellery, pointed out to Himmler that some Jews would be worth saving for the same fate: Among the 10 million European Jews there are, according to my estimates, at least two to three million men and women fully capable of working. In view of our enormous problems with the shortage of labor, I am of the opinion that these 2-3 millions [should] by all means be selected and preserved. However, this can only happen if they are simultaneously made infertile.2 In July 1942, Himmler’s personal advisor, General Rudolf Brandt, contacted Dr. Carl Clauberg, a well-known gynecologist with this question: [how long would it take] to sterilize 1000 Jewesses? The Jewesses themselves should not know anything about it. As the SS Reich Leader [Himmler] understands it, you could give the appropriate injection during a general examination. Thorough experiments should be conducted to investigate the effect of sterilization [and to find] perhaps by X-rays what kinds of changes have taken place. In some cases, a practical experiment might be arranged by locking up a Jewess and a Jew for a certain period and then seeing what results are achieved.3 Clauberg proposed using a chemical method to induce sterility and in July 1942, he was given permission to use the female prisoners for his experiments.4 Within less than a year, Clauberg was able to report that he could sterilize hundreds of women, or even a thousand, per day.5 3 The Radiation Experiments Concurrent with Clauberg’s chemical sterilization experiments, Dr. Horst Schumann, an Air Force physician, began in April 1943 to experiment on male and female prisoners of Auschwitz with the use of radiation to produce sterility. Schumann’s experiments were based upon a March 1941 plan proposed by Viktor Brack: A practical method of [sterilization] procedure would be to compel people who are to be treated to approach a “ticket-window” [Schalter], where they would be asked to answer certain questions or to fill out certain forms for a period lasting two or three minutes. The person sitting behind the ticket-window would maneuver the [x-ray] apparatus in such a way that a switch would set in action two lamps simultaneously [radiation must be given from both sides]. With a two-lamp installation, 150 to 200 people could be sterilized each day and consequently, with twenty installations of this type, 3,000 to 4,000 people could be sterilized…6 The radiation experiments at Auschwitz had a more obvious technique. The female subjects were directed to stand in front of the x-ray machine and were irradiated with plates affixed to their abdomens and backs. Men were forced to place their genitals on a ceramic surface and were directly irradiated.7 Sonja Fritz, a Jewish prisoner, stated: I remember that women were often nauseated and vomited after having undergone irradiation. Once I asked Schumann whether I should help these women and perhaps give them some water, but he refused.8 4 Drawing by Renée Duering, former prisoner of Auschwitz. One of the prisoners, Wolfgang Silberberg, had the job of escorting the male prisoners to the experimental site for irradiation. He stated: The prisoners were young men aged 20-25 years. They came back after two hours and told everyone that their genitalia were x-rayed for 15 minutes. They did this for 14-21 days except Sundays. After a week, the wounds would be putrid.9 After these “treatments”, the subjects had to return to work despite serious burns and subsequent open wounds. Many died as a result. Others, when they became too weak to work, were sent to the gas chamber. Those who lived were subjected to surgery to determine the effects of the experiment. The women had one or both ovaries removed and the men likewise had one or both testicles removed to verify sterility. Between mid- September and mid-December 1943, 106 surgical procedures were done to evaluate the effects of the radiation.10 In April 1944, Schumann reported on his radiation experiments to Himmler and declared that surgical sterilization was more effective and quicker than that done with 5 radiation. Nonetheless, Schumann continued his radiation experiments, moving to Ravensbrück concentration camp in April 1944.11 This transfer was necessitated by the approach of the Russian army toward Auschwitz in the winter of 1944-1945. Schumann’s x- ray equipment was dismantled and removed to Ravensbrück concentration camp. Chemical Sterilization Dr. Clauberg’s experiments began in Block 30 of Birkenau (Auschwitz II) on December 28, 1942. He soon complained that this block was unsuitable and he and his subjects were relocated to Block 10 in Auschwitz I. By April 30, 1943, there were 242 prisoner-subjects housed in Block 10 and 22 female prisoners who worked as nurses, caregivers, and secretaries.12 By the end of June, the number of prisoner-subjects increased to 30013 and by December 1943, there were 400 experimental subjects.14 All prisoner- patients of Block 10 were Jewish except for the prostitutes who were brought there to be screened and treated for sexually transmitted diseases.15 6 This is the room in Block 10 in which the sterilization experiments were conducted. The structure is a stove for heating the room. 7 Drawing of Block 10 by Renée Duering, former Block 10 prisoner. The women who were to become the victims of these experiments were usually selected directly from the unloading ramp in Birkenau upon their arrival. Many nationalities were represented including the Poles, Dutch, Greeks, Germans, Czechs, Slovaks, Belgians, and French. There was even one woman from the Congo.16 The Germans were especially interested in women who were married and under the age of 50 years.17 After the selection, the women were showered, shaved of all hair, tattooed, and given dirty and ragged uniforms. They were then taken to Block 10 where, according to one survivor, they were greeted by the other prisoner-subjects and assured that they were, in fact, fortunate to be selected for the experiments because they would be saved from the gas chambers.18 8 Two survivors described how they were given a choice between staying in Block 10 or going to Birkenau. The first, Margaretha Dantowitz, stated: I chose to remain in Block 10 along with 10 other women and 3 younger doctors. Goebel and Schumann did these experiments. They injected liquid into the uterus while they were on the x-ray table and were x-rayed while the injection went on. A doctor from Holland, Dr. de Loeuv, told me what it all meant – sterilization. Some of the other prisoners had already received this experiment 3 times. Many young girls were treated this way and were burned by the radiation and suffered very much. Some died after the operation. Others in Block 10 didn’t receive x-ray but had hysterectomies. They were cared for by Dr. Brewda. One pregnant patient was aborted. They tried to get others pregnant with artificial insemination or, it was discussed, by making them get together with male prisoners.19 The second survivor who described being given a choice was Elisabeth de Jong who arrived in Auschwitz on a transport from Amsterdam along with her sister-in-law. According to de Jong, upon arrival at Block 10, they were told to sign a consent to be subjects in the experiments or get on the waiting truck to go to Birkenau.
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