Ernst-Robert Grawitz

Ernst-Robert Grawitz

Name	Ernst-Robert Grawitz
Birth name
Birth date	8 June 1899
Birth place	Charlottenburg, German Empire
Death date	24 April 1945
Death place	Berlin, Nazi Germany
Alma mater
Occupation	Physician
Years active
Organization
Known for	SS officer, involvement in Nazi human experimentation
Notable works
Spouse(s)
Website

Ernst-Robert Grawitz (8 June 1899 – 24 April 1945) was a German physician and an SS officer during the Nazi era. He is primarily known for his role as the head of the German Red Cross and his involvement in Nazi human experimentation during World War II.

Early Life and Education

Grawitz was born in Charlottenburg, a district of Berlin, in the German Empire. He pursued a career in medicine, studying at various universities in Germany. His early medical career was marked by his interest in internal medicine and pathology.

Career in the SS

Grawitz joined the Nazi Party and the SS in the early 1930s. His medical expertise and political alignment with the Nazi ideology facilitated his rapid rise within the ranks of the SS. By 1936, he was appointed as the Reichsarzt SS und Polizei (Reich Physician SS and Police), a position that placed him in charge of all medical matters within the SS and police forces.

Role in Nazi Human Experimentation

As Reich Physician, Grawitz was involved in the planning and execution of medical experiments on prisoners in concentration camps. These experiments were often inhumane and conducted without the consent of the subjects. Grawitz's role was primarily administrative, overseeing the implementation of these experiments and ensuring they aligned with the broader goals of the Nazi regime.

Head of the German Red Cross

In 1942, Grawitz was appointed as the head of the German Red Cross. Under his leadership, the organization was heavily militarized and aligned with the Nazi war effort. Grawitz used his position to further the interests of the SS and the Nazi Party, often at the expense of the humanitarian principles traditionally associated with the Red Cross.

Death

As the war drew to a close and the defeat of Nazi Germany became imminent, Grawitz committed suicide on 24 April 1945 in Berlin. His death occurred shortly before the fall of Berlin to the Allied forces.

Legacy

Grawitz's legacy is largely defined by his involvement in the atrocities committed during the Nazi regime. His actions as a physician and SS officer have been widely condemned, and he is remembered as a key figure in the unethical medical practices of the era.

Also see

• Nazi human experimentation
• SS
• German Red Cross
• World War II
• Nazi Party