Karl Gebhardt

Karl Gebhardt, SS-Arzt

Karl Gebhardt (23 November 1897 – 2 June 1948) was a German SS-Gruppenführer, medical doctor, and a main participant in the medical experiments conducted on inmates of the concentration camps at Ravensbrück and Auschwitz during the Second World War. As one of Heinrich Himmler's personal physicians and a leading figure in the Nazi human experimentation programs, Gebhardt's work has become synonymous with the atrocities and war crimes committed under the guise of medical research in the Third Reich.

Biography

Karl Gebhardt was born in Haag in Oberbayern, Germany. He pursued medical studies and became a notable surgeon before joining the Nazi Party and the SS. His medical career took a dark turn when he became involved in the SS's medical division, where he rose to prominence due to his close relationship with Heinrich Himmler. Gebhardt utilized his position to conduct a series of inhumane and unethical medical experiments on prisoners within the Nazi concentration camp system, particularly focusing on the effects of sulfanilamide and other treatments on battlefield injuries, as well as experiments on bone, muscle, and nerve regeneration and repair.

During the war, Gebhardt was responsible for overseeing the medical care of high-ranking SS officials and was instrumental in the establishment of the Hohenlychen Sanatorium as a hospital for the SS elite. However, his legacy is marred by his leadership in the execution of gruesome medical experiments that resulted in the suffering and deaths of countless individuals.

War Crimes and Trial

After the war, Karl Gebhardt was arrested and tried at the Doctors' Trial, part of the subsequent Nuremberg Trials. He was charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity for his involvement in the medical experiments at Ravensbrück and Auschwitz. Gebhardt was found guilty on both counts and was sentenced to death. He was executed by hanging on 2 June 1948.

Legacy

The actions of Karl Gebhardt and other physicians involved in Nazi medical experiments have led to significant ethical discussions and reforms in medical research, including the development of the Nuremberg Code, a set of research ethics principles for human experimentation.

See Also

• Nazi human experimentation
• Ravensbrück concentration camp
• Auschwitz concentration camp
• Doctors' Trial
• Nuremberg Code