Josef Mengele

Dr. Josef Mengele, Ph.D , MD (March 16, 1911–February 7, 1979) was a Nazi German physician who performed experiments that were condemned as murderously sadistic on prisoners in Auschwitz during World War II. He personally selected over 400,000 prisoners to die in gas chambers in Auschwitz.

After The War

Mengele left Auschwitz and went to Gross-Rosen concentration camp. In April 1945, he fled westward disguised as a member of the regular German infantry. He was captured as a POW and held near Nuremberg. He was released by the Allies, who had no idea that he was in their midst. After hiding as a farm labourer in Upper Bavaria, Mengele departed for Argentina in 1949, where many other fleeing Nazi officials had also sought refuge. Mengele divorced his wife Irene, and in 1958 married his brother Karl's widow, Martha. She and her son moved to Argentina to join Mengele for a time, although both returned to Europe only a few years later.

Related Topics:
Gross-Rosen - 1945 - POW - Nuremberg - Argentina - 1949 - Divorce - 1958 - Europe

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His family at home backed him financially and he prospered in the 1950s, first operating a toy-workshop and later as an associate in a small pharmaceutical enterprise. After this short period, however, Mengele lived rather poorly. In 1959 he fled to Altos, Paraguay when his address was discovered by Nazi-hunters. Martha never managed to adjust to her new life and left him. Mengele later moved south to Hohenau and then from late 1960 he lived in the São Paulo region of Brazil until his death in 1979, when he suffered a stroke while swimming at a beach near Embu, Brazil and drowned.

Related Topics:
1950s - Pharmaceutical - 1959 - Altos - Paraguay - Hohenau - 1960 - São Paulo - Brazil - 1979 - Stroke - Embu, Brazil

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Despite international efforts to track him down, he was never apprehended and lived for 35 years hiding under various aliases. Adolf Eichmann's capture and trial by Israel prompted Mengele's fears and frequent movements, and Mossad tracked him for a time, but Israel's efforts were directed towards normalizing relations with Paraguay and fighting enemies closer to home. He was not tracked down by Nazi hunters until June 6, 1985, when his body was found and identified after a combined effort of American, West German and South American authorities. In 1992, DNA tests confirmed his identity.

Related Topics:
Adolf Eichmann - Trial - Israel - Mossad - June 6 - 1985 - 1992 - DNA tests

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Mengele has also been used as a fictionalized literary and movie character, featured prominently in The Boys from Brazil (portrayed by Gregory Peck) and as part of an amalgam of Nazi doctors in Marathon Man. He was the subject matter of the song "Angel of Death", the opening track on Slayer's 1986 album, Reign in Blood. He was also the subject of a song by Al Stewart called, Running Man, from his 1980 album, 24 Carrots The character of Diana in the 1983 NBC science-fiction miniseries V is also attributed to him. He also featured in the BBC series, Kessler, which was a spin-off of the popular BBC series, The Secret Army.

Related Topics:
The Boys from Brazil - Gregory Peck - Marathon Man - Angel of Death - Slayer - 1986 - Reign in Blood - Al Stewart - 1980 - 24 Carrots - 1983 - NBC - Science-fiction - Miniseries - V - Kessler

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Mengele has a daughter born to an Australian woman of German lineage after a liaison between the two when the woman, aged 23, visited the German Colony in Paraguay in mid-1960 along with her mother and brother. The child was born in Melbourne, Australia on March 10, 1961. She was adopted privately.

Related Topics:
Melbourne - Australia - March 10 - 1961

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Eighty-five previously unreleased letters and diaries written by Mengele were discovered in late 2004. They had been seized in a 1985 raid on the home of Wolfram and Liselotte Bossert, who had harbored the fugitive Mengele until his death.

Related Topics:
2004 - 1985 - Bossert

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