Gisella Perl

Hungarian-Jewish gynecologist and Holocaust survivor

Cover of Gisella Perl's book I Was a Doctor in Auschwitz

Gisella Perl (10 December 1907 – 16 December 1988) was a Hungarian-Jewish gynecologist and Holocaust survivor. She is best known for her work as a doctor in the Auschwitz concentration camp, where she provided medical care to fellow prisoners under harrowing conditions. After the war, she emigrated to the United States and continued her medical career, becoming a prominent advocate for women's health.

Early Life and Education

Gisella Perl was born in Sighetu Marmației, a town in the Kingdom of Hungary, which is now part of Romania. She was the daughter of a Jewish family and showed an early interest in medicine. Perl pursued her medical studies in Germany, where she specialized in gynecology. She became one of the few female doctors of her time, a significant achievement given the societal constraints on women in the early 20th century.

World War II and Auschwitz

During World War II, Perl and her family were deported to the Auschwitz concentration camp. In Auschwitz, she was forced to work under the infamous Josef Mengele, who conducted inhumane medical experiments on prisoners. Despite the horrific conditions, Perl used her medical knowledge to help fellow inmates. She is particularly noted for performing secret abortions to save women from being subjected to Mengele's experiments or execution.

Post-War Life

After the liberation of Auschwitz, Perl emigrated to the United States. Initially, she faced challenges in continuing her medical career due to the trauma she had experienced and the difficulty of obtaining a medical license in a new country. However, she eventually succeeded and became a respected gynecologist in New York City.

Contributions to Medicine

In the United States, Perl worked at Mount Sinai Hospital and other institutions, where she focused on women's health and infertility. Her experiences during the Holocaust deeply influenced her medical practice, and she became an advocate for compassionate care and the importance of mental health in medical treatment.

Memoir and Legacy

Gisella Perl documented her experiences in the memoir I Was a Doctor in Auschwitz, which provides a harrowing account of her time in the concentration camp and her efforts to save lives. Her story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the ethical dilemmas faced by medical professionals in extreme situations.

Related Pages

• Auschwitz concentration camp
• Josef Mengele
• Holocaust survivors
• Women's health