In Auschwitz, he decided the lives of thousands and conducted perverted experiments whose horrors persist to this day. Despite his crimes, he escaped justice and died as a free man. How did he manage it?
In preserved photographs, Mengele appears as an ordinary young man—polished, elegant, with neatly styled hair and a smile that could belong to a sympathetic doctor or professor. Someone he might have become if not for the war and the Nazi inhumanity that, like a tornado, swept into career positions that allowed the exercise of power, primarily those who were versatile and excessively adaptable.
But behind this image hides one of the most terrifying men of the Nazi era. Josef Mengele, nicknamed the “Angel of Death,” decided the fate of thousands of prisoners at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. His perverted experiments, obsession with genetics, and fascination with twins secured him a place among the greatest criminals of the 20th century. Yet he never stood trial.
How is it possible that such a monster managed to escape? And who exactly was he?
Let’s start with the last question.
Who was Josef Mengele?
Almost everyone knows that Mengele, known as the “Angel of Death,” is one of the darkest figures of the Nazi era. There’s no need to elaborate too much, although the following sections of the article will delve into his biography. At this moment, it is sufficient to know that he typically served in the medical delegation that inspected incoming prisoners to Auschwitz, deciding who was suitable for work and experiments and who would be immediately sent to the gas chambers.
However, at this point, we will attempt to explore his personality and motivations.
This largely involves grasping at shadows since he was never officially subjected to a psychological examination. Nevertheless, many experts have tried to analyze his personality based on his actions and available testimonies. What did they find?
- Sadism and Lack of Empathy: Robert Jay Lifton, a professor of psychiatry and psychology, describes Mengele in his book The Nazi Doctors as a sadistic individual lacking empathy. His extreme anti-Semitism and belief in the necessity of “eliminating Jews as a dangerous race” fueled his cruel behavior.
- Ideological Devotion and Career Ambitions: Mengele’s actions were driven by a combination of deep devotion to Nazi ideology and personal ambitions. His desire for scientific recognition and career advancement within the SS led him to conduct inhumane experiments, which he considered beneficial for science and the state.
- Dehumanization of Victims: Mengele viewed his victims as mere objects for research, allowing him to perform brutal experiments without feeling guilt. This dehumanization was characteristic of many Nazi doctors who justified their actions with pseudoscientific theories about racial superiority.
- Double Face: Testimonies from survivors suggest that Mengele could be kind to children, giving them sweets and presenting himself as “Uncle Mengele,” while simultaneously conducting cruel experiments on them. This ability to present himself as a caring person while committing atrocities indicates a deep moral dissonance.
To illustrate the above, consider the testimony of one Auschwitz survivor, Alex Dekel:
“I never accepted the fact that Mengele himself believed he was conducting genuine scientific research. Not because he conducted research carelessly. He only sadistically enjoyed power. Mengele operated human slaughterhouses. Larger operations were carried out without anesthesia. Once, I witnessed a stomach operation where Mengele removed entire pieces of stomach without anesthesia. Another time, a heart was removed, again without anesthesia. It was horrible. Mengele was a doctor who went insane because of the power the system entrusted to him. No one ever asked him, ‘Why did this patient die?’ ‘And why this one?’ Mengele did not count the sick. He claimed he was doing what he did in the name of science, but it was madness on his part.”
Although there is no official psychological assessment of Josef Mengele, analyses of his behavior suggest a combination of sadism, lack of empathy, ideological devotion, and personal ambition. His ability to dehumanize victims and present himself as a caring individual while committing atrocities demonstrates profound moral dissonance. These factors together created an individual capable of perpetrating unimaginable horrors in the name of science and ideology.
Path to Power: Education in the Hands of Evil
Mengele was born in 1911 into a wealthy family of a successful factory owner in Günzburg, Bavaria. From a young age, he was considered a talented student who excelled in school. He was interested in music, art, and skiing.
Studying medicine and anthropology eventually led him to prestigious German universities, where he was influenced by the idea of racial purity. At that time, science served Nazi ideology as a tool—it was meant to prove that the Aryan race was “superior.” Nazi ideology combined elements of anti-Semitism, racial hygiene, and eugenics with Pan-Germanism and territorial expansionism aimed at acquiring more Lebensraum (living space) for the German nation. This acted like life-giving water for young Josef, as well as for many of his peers, giving their lives sudden meaning and purpose.
Driven by both ambition and personal belief in this ideology, Mengele soon joined the NSDAP and the SS units. Thus, he ultimately found his calling in “science,” although it was merely a component of the ideology of death. His desire to “research” led him to Auschwitz in 1943, one of the darkest places in human history.
Auschwitz: Angel of Death at the Ramp
Josef Mengele arrived at Auschwitz in 1942 as an ambitious doctor and quickly gained a reputation as a man who liked to appear as “the good guy.” During the selections, where he decided who would live and who would die in the gas chambers, he always wore a neat uniform, a white coat, and a calm expression. Prisoners described him as a cold-blooded judge—one gesture determined the death of thousands.
For him, it wasn’t just a duty. It was an opportunity. Auschwitz became his laboratory. He was fascinated by twins, dwarfs, the physically disabled, or individuals with physical abnormalities. These people were more than just prisoners to Mengele—they were experimental subjects.
Mengele’s Experiments: Horrors Behind the Mask of Science
Mengele’s obsession with genetics led to brutal experiments. He tried to make twins the key to uncovering the “secrets” of racial purity. He performed painful procedures on them—injecting chemicals into their eyes, swapping blood between siblings, attempting surgical fusions. If one twin died, the other was immediately killed so he could dissect their bodies.
His cruelty knew no bounds. He operated on prisoners without anesthesia, amputating their limbs or infecting them with deadly diseases. Pregnant women, children, and the elderly were subjected to unspeakable pain. And all of this under the guise of “science.” I do not consider it necessary to delve into sensational details. Instead, the kind reader can watch a documentary here:
Mengele’s Escape from Justice
When the war ended, Mengele disappeared, like many other Nazis. However, initially, in April 1945, he fled to Western Europe as an ordinary German soldier. He was captured as a prisoner of war and held near Nuremberg. Although he was registered in the POW camp under his real name, the Allies had no idea who they were dealing with, and eventually, he was released. In the chaos of post-war Europe, he managed to escape—first under a false name, later by emigrating to South America. In Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil, he lived a relatively peaceful life while the world sought justice for his victims.
The Israeli Mossad, which among other things captured Adolf Eichmann, never caught up with Mengele, and he spent the rest of his life, a full 35 years, on the run with fake documents. Although he was several times close to being caught, he always disappeared. While survivors suffered the consequences of his experiments, he lived in the Brazilian countryside. However, he lived in fear. After Eichmann’s capture, he was afraid and frequently changed residences. Nevertheless, he never stood trial.
A significant role in this was the change in circumstances. Mossad had him under surveillance for a while. However, Israel decided, given the then-trend of establishing friendly relations with South American countries, to look for enemies “closer to home.”
And so Josef Mengele lived out his life in freedom. He died in 1979 of a heart attack while swimming. His body was identified several years later.
Conclusion
Mengele’s story is not just about one man but about a system that allowed science to become a tool of evil. It serves as a reminder of how easily ideals and knowledge can be abused when humanity is lost.
The history of Josef Mengele is terrifying because it shows how easily a talented doctor can become a cruel murderer. Above all, it warns that justice is not a given. Some stories remain unresolved. And that is perhaps the greatest tragedy of all.
Sources:
Wikipedia.org – summary of Mengele’s life, his actions in Auschwitz, and psychological aspects of his behavior. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Mengele
Robert Jay Lifton: The Nazi Doctors – analysis of the psychological profile of Nazi doctors, including Josef Mengele. (LIFTON, Robert Jay. The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide. New York: Basic Books, 1986. ISBN 0465049052.)
Academics.Wellesley.edu – article on ideology, career ambitions, and dehumanization of victims in Mengele’s actions. https://academics.wellesley.edu/Polisci/wj/100/mengle.htm
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