Holocaust

Nazi Medical Experiments

At the time of the holocaust, many German physicians performed painful and deadly experiments on many concentration camp prisoners. The medical experiments that were conducted could be separated into three categories. The first category were experiments designed to assist the survival of Axis military personnel. To measure the highest altitude from which troops of damaged aircraft could parachute to safety, physicians in Dachau performed high-altitude experiments, using a low pressure chamber. In addition, many prisoners became victims of freezing experiments aimed towards finding a treatment for hypothermia. Prisoners were also used to test methods of making seawater suitable for drinking. 

The second category of experimentation was directed towards developing and testing medications and treatment procedures for injuries and illnesses.Scientist tested immunization mixtures and sera for the prevention and treatment of contagious diseases such as, malaria, typhus,tuberculosis, typhoid fever, yellow fever, and contagious hepatitis. Prisoners were exposed to phosgene and mustard gas in order to test possible remedies.

The third category of medical experiments were performed to improve the racial and visionary principle of the Nazi worldview. The most widely known of these experiments is that of Josef Mengele at Auschwitz. Josef Mengele performed experiments on twins. Mengele, along with some others, conducted serological experiments on Gypsies, in order to form a conclusion on how different "races" combated infectious diseases. The research was intended to recognize Jewish inferiority.

Those that the Nazi leaders considered to be racially or genetically undesirable were put through countless amounts of horrendous experiments, among these were sterilization experiments. Scientist tested their methods in their attempt to form an efficient and inexpensive technique for mass sterilization.


Raymond, Nicolas.  "Caduceus Grunge Symbol."  Photograph.  Flickr.  Yahoo, 24 April 2013.  Web.  20 Feb. 2014. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/80497449@N04/8677835416>

"Nazi Medical Experiments."  USHMM.  United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 10 June 2013.  Web.  20 Feb. 2014.  <http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005250>.