Important Doctors
· Dr. Ernst Holzlohner
· Dr. Finke
· Dr. Sigmund Rascher
- Holzloehner worked with Dr. Finke and with Dr. Rascher on the Dachau hypothermia experiments. Holzloehner was a professor at the University of Keil and wrote (along with Finke) a research report called "Freezing Experiments with Human Beings". He then delivered his findings to other doctors at a Nuremberg medical conference.
· Dr. Finke
- A professor at the University of Keil and worked closely with Dr. Sigmund Rascher in the Hypothermia experiments at Dachau. He wrote a lengthy research report (along with Dr. Holzloehner) named "Freezing Experiments with Human Beings."
· Dr. Sigmund Rascher
- A Luftwaffe captain as well as a doctor. He was in charge of many of the "military medical experiments" at Dachau including the hypothermia experiments (where 300 people were killed) and the high altitude experiments. He examined the brains of Jews after their skulls were split open (while fully conscious) to see the effects of high altitude on humans (Jewish Virtual Library).
Types of Experiments
This is a picture of high altitude and decompression experiments. Doctors tested to see the effects of sudden lack of pressure or oxygen. The reason was to see how high soldiers could go and survive parachuting out of an airplane in war (USHMM).
Freezing experiments were conducted by doctors. They did this to see how pilots shot down at sea could survive. They also did this experiment to see how quickly and effectively they could help freezing pilots. About 360-400 prisoners were tested and 80-90 died from experiments (USHMM).
There were also various experiments. Prisoners were infected with tuberculosis purposely and then given different medicines to see if any medicines could cure it. They were tested with seawater to see if they could make it drinkable. Prisoners were given wounds and then given different medicines to try and stop the bleeding (HEART).