SCIENCE
AND
MASS MURDER

“Science per se knows nothing of ethical boundaries. The boundaries have to be negotiated by society.”

Hans-Walter Schmuhl, historian

Nazi extermination policies provided scientists at the Institute with new research opportunities, which they enthusiastically accepted. Scientists saw forced labour and extermination camps as ideal research grounds. Free from ethical and legal limitations, they could collect data, conduct human experiments, and obtain body parts of those murdered.

The Institute maintained particularly close ties to the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. Doctor Josef Mengele, who practised there, had received his doctorate from Otmar von Verschuer, the last director of the Institute. From 1943 on, Institute staff had Mengele send them blood samples from prisoners, and preserved body parts of those murdered at the camp.

The Mechau Family

The family of Otto Mechau (1881–1943) and Auguste Mechau (1891–1943) lived in Hamburg until 1939, and then in Oldenburg. Sinti increasingly faced persecution under National Socialism. In 1938, Otto Mechau was imprisoned intermittently in Sachsenhausen concentration camp. After a “detainment decree” was issued in October 1939, Roma and Sinti were no longer allowed to leave their place of residence.

On 8 March 1943, police officers surrounded the family’s home. At least five adults and nine children were transferred to Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. According to the research programme of Karin Magnussen, a scientist at the Institute, doctors there performed experiments on members of the Mechau family.

All members of the family who were deported to Auschwitz were murdered. Only two of Otto and Auguste Mechau’s sons survived the National Socialist genocide of the Roma and Sinti.

This image is a photograph of the Mechau family. There are 13 people including adults and minors. Some are standing and others are sitting in front of a house and looking toward the camera.

Family photo of the Mechau family, 1930

Private Archive of Hugo Mechau/Günter Heuzeroth Collection

The family photo from 1930 shows Otto Mechau in the centre, with his wife Auguste (Rahli) Adele Mechau, née Bamberger (1891–1943) seated to the left. Hugo Mechau (1909–1989, second from right) was able to save these and other photographs. He survived the National Socialist regime.

This photograph shows Auguste Laubinger and her children, Fridolin and Lydia. Auguste is looking toward the camera and smiling. Fridolin and Lydia are looking away from the camera.

Auguste Laubinger with her children Fridolin and Lydia, before 1943

Private Archive of Hugo Mechau/Günter Heuzeroth Collection

In this photo, you can see Auguste (Wella) Laubinger (1911–unknown) – a daughter of Auguste and Otto Mechau – with her children Fridolin (1941–1943) and Lydia (1935–1944). It must have been taken shortly before their deportation to Auschwitz. Auguste Laubinger, like her daughter Lydia, was a victim of Magnussen’s research. All three were murdered in Auschwitz.

This image is a portrait photograph of Balduin Mechaus. He is a young man wearing a dark suit and necktie. His left eye is lighter than his right eye.

Balduin Mechau, date unknown

Private Archive of Hugo Mechau/Günter Heuzeroth Collection

Auguste and Otto Mechau’s son Balduin Mechau (1925–1944) was also a victim of medical experiments. The record of Balduin Mechau’s death in Auschwitz-Birkenau is dated 28 February 1944. Magnussen’s documents suggest that she obtained specimens of his different coloured eyes.

Karin Magnussen

Biologist Dr. Karin Magnussen (1908–1997) had already joined the Nazi Party in 1931 and remained a racist and anti-Semite all her life. In 1936, she published the training book “Tools for Racial and Population Policy”.

She received a fellowship at the Institute in 1941. In 1943, she was promoted to Assistant. Her research focused on heterochromia – differently coloured eyes. At first, she experimented on rabbits. Between 1943–1944 she capitalised on her connections to Auschwitz: Josef Mengele sent heterochromic eyes from members of the Mechau family to Magnussen at the Institute as specimens.

During the process of denazification, she was classified as a “Mitläufer” (follower) in 1949. Magnussen did not continue her scientific career, but instead worked as a biology teacher in Bremen.

This image is a photograph of a light-skinned woman, Karin Magnussen. She is wearing a white lab coat and is looking toward the camera, smiling.
Karin Magnussen, 1958 Private Archive of Hans Hesse
Title page and beginning of text from a publication by Karin Magnussen on eye colour, which appeared in 1943 in the eugenics magazine ‘Der Erbarzt’, edited by Otmar von Verschuer.
Magnussen’s publication on eye colour in “Der Erbarzt” (The Hereditary Doctor), 1943 University Library of Freie Universität Berlin

In 1943, Karin Magnussen published on “The Determination of the Colour and Pigment Distribution of the Human Iris”. Her research focus was heterochromia – different coloured eyes. At first, she experimented on rabbits. In 1943 and 1944, she made use of her connections to Auschwitz: Josef Mengele sent specimens of heterochromic eyes from members of the Mechau family to Magnussen at the Institute.

This image is a handwritten kinship chart of the Mechau family over four generations. No names are included. The information lists the biological genders and eye colors of the family members in the chart.
Handwritten “kinship chart of the M. family”, by Magnussen, after 1945Hadamar Memorial Museum

After Karin Magnussen’s death, several so-called “kinship charts of the M. family” were found in her files. This version, drawn by Magnussen, contains the names and birth years of members of the Mechau family. Over three generations, Magnussen systematically entered the eye colouring of the family members. In this way, she sought to trace the inheritance of different coloured eyes.

An excerpt from Karin Magnussen’s text entitled “Total Heterochromia in a Family – Genetic Symptom of a Mutation ‘Dysfunction of the Sympathetic Nervous System’ Resulting from Social Background?” published in 1982. To a certain extent the text uses racist language. On the website there is a commentary about five marked passages.
From: Karin Magnussen, “Total Heterochromia in a Family – Genetic Symptom of a Mutation ‘Dysfunction of the Sympathetic Nervous System’ Resulting from Social Background?”, 1982Hadamar Memorial Museum

As a result of the experiments in Auschwitz, Karin Magnussen wrote an essay on heterochromia in 1944, which has not survived. Around 1980, she wrote a new text in which she intentionally omitted the experiments on the members of the Mechau family. She gave the text to the Max Planck Society. She wanted the text to be “left to the next generation of scientists”.

1

Here, Magnussen formulates principles of medical ethics that she herself massively violated. By dividing humanity into large groups, she exposes her thinking in racial categories.

2

Magnussen claims that her human experiments were intended to heal people. In fact, she accepted the murder of people and conducted research on their physical remains.

3

The racist term “Z*-Sippe” (clan) does not seem problematic to Magnussen. The term “Sippe” for an extended family is used dismissively only for marginalised groups.

4

Magnussen gives the impression that she “contacted” members of the Mechau family, informed them about her research, and obtained their consent, but this was not the case.

5

Magnussen deliberately conceals the fact that she wanted to conduct research on people who had been deported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp. Instead, she declares herself a victim because she was hindered in her research in the camp.

A video commentary by Anja Reuss (Historian) will be available here shortly.

Black and white photo. View of the main building of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Anthropology, Human Heredity and Eugenics from Ihnestraße.
The main building of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Anthropology, Human Heredity and Eugenics, after 1936 Archive of Max Planck Society, Berlin-Dahlem, Abt. VI. Rep. 1, Nr. KWI-Anthrop I/4b

Outdoor areaThe Institue

Photograph of three individuals in an examination room. One person wearing a dress or a long white lab coat is taking a picture from the side of a person sitting on a chair. The twin sister of the person being photographed is standing to one side.
A pair of twins being photographed at the Institute, around 1930 ullstein bild

BasementResearch

A photograph of the inner courtyard of Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin. There are many people in the courtyard. Eugen Fischer is standing on the balcony, giving a speech. A large banner with a swastika is hanging from the parapet.
Eugen Fischer at a speech at the Friedrich Wilhelm University Berlin, 1933 Süddeutsche Zeitung Photo/Scherl

Ground floorPolitics

Black and white photo. View of the main building of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Anthropology, Human Heredity and Eugenics from Ihnestraße around 1933/34, with a swastika flag flying on a flagpole.
The main building of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Anthropology, Human Heredity and Eugenics, around 1933/34 Archive of Max Planck Society, Berlin-Dahlem, Abt. VI. Rep. 1, Nr. KWI-Anthrop I/4a

Upper floorCrimes

The second image is a photograph of a woman with dark skin, doctoral candidate Irawati Karvé. She is standing next to a table with a row of skulls.
Irawati Karvé with human skulls in the Institute’s “unpacking room”, date unknown Private Archive of Irawati Karvé/Urmilla Deshpande

AtticDehumanisation



IHNESTR. 22
14195 BERLIN

IHNESTR. 22
14195 BERLIN