Nazi dental gold

Boxes of gold dental caps and dentures from prisoners of the Buchenwald concentration camp, recovered by American troops after the liberation of the camp

The collection of gold dental fillings, dental caps and dentures extracted from the mouths of the victims of Aktion T4 and the Nazi concentration camps was a feature of the Holocaust. The practice originated with a 1940 order from Heinrich Himmler, and reinforced by a second order in 1942.[1] The collection was done with the active and voluntary cooperation of German dentists.[2] Dentists involved in the collection of gold included Martin Hellinger.[3]

Collected gold was then melted down into gold bars. The disposition of the gold was an issue following the end of the war.[4]

Trials and prosecution

With studies of the complicity of the medical profession in the crimes of the Third Reich on the rise, there is a question raised of the extent of justice brought down upon the doctors during the international trials after World War II. The trials led to 48 dentists standing trial. The archetypical accused dentist was male, lived in a traditional family, was a part of the National Socialist Workers' Party (NSDAP) and the Waffen-SS (Schutzstaffel), and belonged to the Kriegsjugendgeneration.[5]

Results of trials

47 male dentists and one female dentist were identified in one of the studies. 27 of the accused dentists were born from 1900–1910, meaning that they belonged to the Kriegsjugendgeneration. Fifteen were born before 1900 and six were born after 1910. Kriegsjugendgeneration members were influenced by National Socialism at a young age and this generation was the most important generation for the National Socialists for recruitment.[5]

Many of these dentists served in concentration camps and their administrative offices. Of the 48 identified dentists, 22 were stationed in at least one concentration camp. Of these 22, 19 were members of the Waffen-SS.[5]

Overview of Dentists' Jurisdictions and Sentences
Surname First Name Jurisdiction Sentence
Ahlers Hans Supreme Court British Zone Custodial Sentence 5 Months
Alfken Gottlob Adolph Hermann French Court Forced Labor 5 Years
aus dem Bruch Kurt Otto British Court Acquittal
Belger Eduard German Court Termination of the Proceedings
Bergeest Willy August Heinrich Supreme Court British Zone Termination of the Proceedings
Brandt (Rud)Olf American Court Custodial Sentence 3 Years
Bremmer Walter Konrad Christian German Court Termination of the Proceedings
Denecke Paul Supreme Court British Zone unknown
Deutschle Karl French Court Custodial Sentence Length of pre-trial detention
Erckmann Hermann German Court Custodial Sentence 6 Months
Frank Willy German Court Custodial Sentence 7 Years
Geiler Fritz Soviet Military Court Death Sentence
Graf Georg French Court Custodial Sentence 4 Years
Hellinger Martin British Court Custodial Sentence 15 Years
Hellmuth Karl American Court Custodial Sentence 3 Years
Hellmuth Otto American Court Death Sentence
Henkel Wilhelm American Court Death Sentence
Hoehne Rudolf Max American Court Custodial Sentence 5 Years
Hoffmann Werner French Court Acquittal
Höhler Walter American Court Death Sentence
Johst Elisabeth Soviet Military Court Death Sentence
Judmann Franz Vienna People's Court Termination of the Proceedings
Körber Paul French Court Custodial Sentence 10 Years
Korweslühr Herbert Supreme Court British Zone Custodial Sentence 9 Months
Kunz Helmut Soviet Military Court

German Court

Forced Labour 25 Years

Termination of the Proceedings

Lorenz Fritz Soviet Military Court Death Sentence
Müller Heinrich Theodor German Court Custodial Sentence 1 Year
Oetken Friedrich Supreme Court British Zone Custodial Sentence 3 Months
Pook Hermann American Court Custodial Sentence 10 Years
Poupet Ferdinand Benjamin French Court Death Sentence
Precht Elimar French Court Death Sentence
Reichmann Frantz French Court Forced Labor 15 Years
Rohde Werner British Courts Death Sentence
Rost Willy French Court Death Sentence
Schäfer Kurt French Court Death Sentence
Schatz WIlli German Court Acquittal
Schönig Erich British Court Custodial Sentence 5 Years
Schulte Josef Supreme Court British Zone Fine 500 DM
Simon Josef Polish Court Custodial Sentence 14 Months
Sonntag Walter British Court Death Sentence
Teuber Karl-Heinz Polish Court Custodial Sentence 4 Years
Vogelsang Karl German Court Custodial Sentence 5 Months
Weck Franz Christian German Court Custodial Sentence 5,5 Years
Weinmann Ernst Military Court Belgrade Death Sentence
Wenzel Hermann French Court Death Sentence
Werling Heinrich German Court Acquittal
Zeiner Karl Friedrich Jakob Polish Court Custodial Sentence 6 Years
Zerbes Otmar Martin American Court Custodial Sentence 18 Months

See also

References

  1. ^ Riaud, Xavier (June 2015). "Nazi Dental Gold: from Dead Bodies to Swiss Banks". Vesalius: Acta Internationales Historiae Medicinae. 21 (1): 32–53. ISSN 1373-4857. PMID 26592082.
  2. ^ Riaud, X. (2015). "History of Nazi Dental Gold: From Dead Bodies till Swiss Bank". S2CID 73917327. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Riaud, Xavier (January 2017). "Nazi Dental Gold: From Dead Bodies to a Swiss Bank". Dental Historian: Lindsay Club Newsletter. 62 (1): 15–23. ISSN 0958-6687. PMID 29949310.
  4. ^ "Nazi Gold: Information from the British Archives: Part II by FCDO Historians - Issuu". issuu.com. May 1997. Retrieved 2021-12-08.
  5. ^ a b c Rinnen, Christiane Elisabeth; Westemeier, Jens; Gross, Dominik (2020-03-01). "Nazi Dentists on Trial: On the Political Complicity of a Long-Neglected Professional Community". Endeavour. 44 (1): 100710. doi:10.1016/j.endeavour.2020.100710. ISSN 0160-9327. PMID 32727655. S2CID 220875365.