Ascertain Under Which Conditions Death Occurs

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Ascertain Under Which Conditions Death Occurs ascertain under which conditions death occurs 2948 Unterkühlungsversuche Hypothermia experiments Viele über dem Meer abgeschossene Piloten starben im Many pilots shot down over the sea died in the icy waters. In eisigen Meerwasser. Im KZ Dachau begann die Luftwaffe im August 1942 human experiments were started by the Luftwaffe August 1942 Menschenversuche durchzuführen. Diese standen in the Dachau concentration camp. These were carried out unter der Leitung von Professor Holzlöhner sowie den Ärzten under the direction of Professor Holzlöhner, Dr. Rascher and Dr. Rascher und Dr. Finke. Dr. Finke. Die Häftlinge wurden an Messgeräte angeschlossen und in The prisoners were connected to measuring instruments and, Fliegeruniform und Schwimmweste in ein Blechbassin mit clothed in an airman’s uniform and fitted with a life jacket, Eiswasser getaucht. Damit wollte man feststellen, welche immersed in a metal tub filled with icy water. These experiments Körperorgane am frühesten durch Kälte gelähmt werden were supposed to ascertain which body organs were paralyzed und unter welchen Bedingungen der Tod eintritt. Außerdem first through cold and under which conditions death occurs. testete man Möglichkeiten zum Präventivschutz und Rettungs- In addition, possibilities for preventive protection and rescue methoden. Fast 90 Häftlinge starben dabei. methods were tested. Almost 90 prisoners died in the process. 2949 Fotoserie, aufgenommen von SS-Ärzten während der Unterkühlungsversuche, 1942 National Archives, Washington Photo series, taken by SS doctors during the hypothermia experiments, 1942 2954 Das Ende von Sigmund Rascher Die rasche Karriere von Dr. Rascher als Günstling Heinrich Himmlers wurde auch durch seine 16 Jahre ältere Lebens- gefährtin gefördert, die mit Himmler befreundet war. Eine Eheschließung kam zunächst nicht zustande: Himmler sah angesichts des Altersunterschieds die strengen Ehe- und Gebärfähigkeits-Richtlinien für SS-Ehen nicht erfüllt. Sie heirateten erst 1941, als das Paar bereits zwei Söhne hatte. Wenig später wurde ein dritter Sohn „geboren“ und Himm- ler regte an, ein Foto von den drei Kleinkindern propagan- distisch zu verwenden. Bei der vierten „Geburt“ 1944 flog der Betrug auf: Karoline Rascher hatte das Kleinkind am Münchener Hauptbahnhof entführen lassen. Die polizei- lichen Untersuchungen ergaben, dass sie sich alle vier Söhne unrechtmäßig angeeignet hatte. Der hintergangene Himmler rächte sich. Karoline Rascher wurde ins KZ Ravensbrück eingewiesen und dort 1945 hin- gerichtet. Sigmund Rascher kam als Sonderhäftling ins KZ Buchenwald. Im April 1945 wurde er nach Dachau überführt und dort ermordet. The end of Sigmund Rascher The rapid career of Dr. Rascher as a favorite of Heinrich 2950 Tabelle für den Tod durch Unterkühlung, 1942 Himmler was also promoted by his partner, sixteen years his Staatsarchiv Nürnberg elder, who was a friend of Himmler’s. At first, a marriage Table registering death through hypothermia, 1942 did not come about: given their age difference, Himmler considered the strict marriage and child-bearing capacity codex for SS marriages as not fulfilled. They married first in 2951 „Privatversuche“ Raschers 1941, as the couple already had two sons. Shortly afterwards, Nach Abschluss des offiziellen Programms ermordete Rascher noch eine ganze Reihe von a third son was “born” and Himmler proposed to use a pho- Menschen, um einen Beitrag für eine wissenschaftliche Konferenz und seine spätere Habili- to of the three small children for propaganda purposes. tationsschrift durch Serien von Obduktionsbefunden belegen zu können. With the fourth “birth” the fraud was uncovered: Karoline „Anliegend erlaube ich mir, den endgültigen Bericht über die Unterkühlungsversuche in Rascher had arranged to have the small child kidnapped Dachau vorzulegen … Ebenso ist in diesem Bericht nicht enthalten die mikroskopisch patho- from the Munich railway station. Police investigations re- logische Untersuchung des Hirnstammes Verstorbener … Bis zu Beginn der Kältetagung vealed that she had acquired all four sons illegally. werde ich noch Versuche durchführen und hoffe in dieser Zeit weitere Resultate hinstellen The deceived Himmler took revenge. Karoline Rascher was zu können.“ sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp and executed Abschlussbericht von Dr. Sigmund Rascher an Himmler, 16. Oktober 1942 (Auszug) there in 1945. Sigmund Rascher was sent to the Buchenwald Staatsarchiv Nürnberg concentration camp as a special prisoner. He was transferred Rascher’s “private experiments” back to Dachau in April 1945 and murdered there. After the conclusion of the official program, Rascher murdered a further series of persons in order to be able to verify his discussion contribution for a scientific conference and his later postdoctoral thesis through autopsy findings. “I take the liberty to enclose the final report on the hypothermia experiments in Dachau … Also not included in this report is the microscopic pathological examination of the brain stem of the deceased … Till the conference I will conduct more experiments and hope to be able to present further results in this period.” Final report from Dr. Sigmund Rascher sent to Himmler, October 16, 1942 (excerpt).
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