Paul Nitsche
Encyclopedia
Hermann Paul Nitsche was a German
psychiatrist
known for his expert endorsement of the Third Reich's euthanasia
authorization and who later headed the T-4 Euthanasia Program.
Nitsche received his medical license in 1901 and obtained the title of professor in 1925. Well established, Nitsche was no longer motivated by the prospect of career advancement but rather ideologically committed when he joined Action T4
. However, Nitsche did not join the Nazi Party until May 1933, and he was driven not so much by Nazi racial ideology
but rather by his own support of racial science and his vision of "progressive medicine".
He was deputy director of the Sonnenstein Clinic from 1913 to 1918 and director of the institution 1928 to 1939. In 1940 he became deputy director of department T4 under Werner Heyde
, and his successor as director from the end of 1941.
He was sentenced to death in the medical war crimes trial in Dresden for crimes against humanity and executed by guillotine
in 1948.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
known for his expert endorsement of the Third Reich's euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
authorization and who later headed the T-4 Euthanasia Program.
Nitsche received his medical license in 1901 and obtained the title of professor in 1925. Well established, Nitsche was no longer motivated by the prospect of career advancement but rather ideologically committed when he joined Action T4
Action T4
Action T4 was the name used after World War II for Nazi Germany's eugenics-based "euthanasia" program during which physicians killed thousands of people who were "judged incurably sick, by critical medical examination"...
. However, Nitsche did not join the Nazi Party until May 1933, and he was driven not so much by Nazi racial ideology
Nazism and race
Nazism developed several theories concerning races. The Nazis claimed to scientifically measure a strict hierarchy of human race; at the top was the master race, the "Aryan race", narrowly defined by the Nazis as being identical with the Nordic race, followed by lesser races.At the bottom of this...
but rather by his own support of racial science and his vision of "progressive medicine".
He was deputy director of the Sonnenstein Clinic from 1913 to 1918 and director of the institution 1928 to 1939. In 1940 he became deputy director of department T4 under Werner Heyde
Werner Heyde
Werner Heyde was a German psychiatrist. He was one of the main organizers of Nazi Germany's T-4 Euthanasia Program.-Education:Heyde completed his Abitur in 1920...
, and his successor as director from the end of 1941.
He was sentenced to death in the medical war crimes trial in Dresden for crimes against humanity and executed by guillotine
Guillotine
The guillotine is a device used for carrying out :executions by decapitation. It consists of a tall upright frame from which an angled blade is suspended. This blade is raised with a rope and then allowed to drop, severing the head from the body...
in 1948.
External links
- Biography and picture of Hermann Paul Nitsche (in Italian)