Ernst Holzlöhner

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Ernst Holzlöhner (1902–1945) was a German physiologist and professor known for his involvement in medical experiments on human subjects during World War II. His work primarily took place at the Dachau concentration camp, where he conducted hypothermia experiments alongside other scientists such as Sigmund Rascher. These experiments were part of a larger series of unethical medical practices carried out under the auspices of the Nazi regime.

Biography

Ernst Holzlöhner was born in 1902 in Germany. He pursued a career in medicine, eventually specializing in physiology. By the early 1940s, Holzlöhner had become a prominent figure in the field, holding a professorship at the University of Kiel.

During World War II, Holzlöhner, along with colleagues such as Sigmund Rascher, was recruited by the SS to conduct medical experiments on prisoners within the Nazi concentration camps. These experiments were aimed at testing human endurance and survival under extreme conditions, purportedly to benefit German military personnel.

Dachau Experiments

At Dachau, Holzlöhner was directly involved in the infamous hypothermia experiments. These experiments subjected prisoners to freezing temperatures to study the limits of human endurance and the effectiveness of various rewarming techniques. The subjects, who were often political prisoners or Jews, were forced into ice water baths or left out in the cold, leading to many deaths and severe injuries.

Holzlöhner's role in these experiments was significant. He was responsible for designing the experimental protocols and analyzing the data collected. His work, however, was marked by a complete disregard for the well-being of the subjects, reflecting the dehumanizing policies of the Nazi regime towards those they imprisoned.

Post-War and Legacy

After the war, Ernst Holzlöhner's actions at Dachau were brought to light during the Nuremberg Trials. However, Holzlöhner did not face trial; he committed suicide in 1945 before he could be apprehended.

The legacy of Ernst Holzlöhner and the hypothermia experiments at Dachau remains a dark chapter in the history of medicine. It serves as a stark reminder of the ethical breaches that can occur when medical research is divorced from humanitarian principles. The experiments have been extensively analyzed in discussions of medical ethics, particularly in the context of informed consent and the exploitation of vulnerable populations for scientific gain.

See Also

• Nazi human experimentation
• Dachau concentration camp
• Sigmund Rascher
• Medical ethics

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