Amidst the unfathomable horrors of the Holocaust, there is something uniquely abhorrent about the medical experiments that were carried out by Nazi doctors during the Second World War. The idea that a scientific profession whose sole aim is to help people should become so corrupted that it would carry out painful and often deadly experiments on thousands of fellow human beings is so disturbing that it continues to captivate people to this day.
No historical figure embodies the dark paradox of a sophisticated society descending into the deepest pits of merciless pseudoscience like Josef Mengele. The SS physician was assigned to Auschwitz in 1943, where he presided over life and death and conducted inhumane biomedical experiments on prisoners. Most of the victims of his experiments were children.
His wartime cruelty, together with his post-war escape to South America, has made him one of the most notorious Nazi figures — a legacy that is reflected in the multitude of books and films it continues to inspire. Between 1974 and now, around 30 movies have emerged that either contain Josef Mengele as a character or fictional representations modelled on him. The latest example has just hit German cinemas. The Disappearance of Josef Mengele stars the prominent German actor August Diehl and is already causing controversy and mixed responses. A good reason for a fresh look at the reality and myth of Josef Mengele.
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