Hypothermia experiments, sub-atmospheric pressure chambers, and other sickening forms of torture were inflicted upon the Jewish and other prisoners of war during the Holocaust. Many scientific breakthroughs were made as a result of these experiments-- but was it worth it? Through the cold-hearted testing by scientists, such as Doctor Josef Mengele and Doctor Sigmund Rascher, important information about subjects such as genetics and the human body's resistance to extremely low climate were discovered. These experiments, along with many other, were major contributions to science. Under Heinreich Himmler's orders, these atrocities were considered a military necessity. Many horrible experiments took place during the Holocaust.
Necessary or not, the atrocious experiments were carried out. One prominent scientist, Doctor Josef Mengele, was nicknamed the "Angel of Death."" He would torture and inflict incredible suffering on Jewish children, Gypsy children and many others. "Patients" were put into pressure chambers, tested with drugs, castrated, frozen to death, and exposed to various other traumas. It is ironic that Mengele began his academic life with a strict Catholic upbringing which would have necessarily taught of 'The Creation' - the dogma that "God created the world and all men are equal."" Of 1,000 pairs of twins used, only 200 survived. Mengele thought.
reproduction, to better the chances of total racial purity. However, he did not succeed in doing so.
Hypothermia experiments were conducted on men to simulate the conditions of armies suffered on the Eastern Front. These experiments were done under the supervision of Dr. Sigmund Rascher at Birkenau, Dachau, and Auschwitz for the benefit of preparing the German forces for the bitter cold. These experiments were divided into two parts. First, to determine how long it would take to lower the body temperature to death; second, how to best resuscitate the frozen victim.
