Josef Mengele, German SS officer and physician (b. 1911)

Josef Mengele: The "Angel of Death" of Auschwitz and His Post-War Escape

Josef Mengele, also infamously known as the "Angel of Death" (German: Todesengel), was a German Schutzstaffel (SS) officer and physician whose name became synonymous with unimaginable cruelty during World War II. Born on 16 March 1911, he would later gain notoriety for his horrific actions at the Auschwitz concentration camp, where his medical background was perverted into a tool of torture and mass murder. His tenure at Auschwitz was marked by the performance of deadly and unethical human experiments on prisoners, his active participation as a member of the medical team that selected victims to be sent to the gas chambers, and his direct involvement in administering the toxic Zyklon B gas that claimed countless lives.

His Reign of Terror at Auschwitz

Assigned to Auschwitz in early 1943, Mengele, driven by a perverse fascination with genetic research, saw the concentration camp as an unparalleled "opportunity" to conduct human experimentation without any ethical or moral constraints. His pseudo-scientific studies, often carried out under the guise of legitimate research, were devoid of any medical purpose and inflicted immense suffering. He was particularly obsessed with:

Beyond his experiments, Mengele was a key figure in the "selections" at the Auschwitz ramp. Upon the arrival of transports, he, along with other SS doctors, would decide who was fit for forced labor and who would be sent immediately to the gas chambers. This arbitrary process, often determined by a flick of his hand, condemned hundreds of thousands to their deaths.

The Escape and Decades-Long Manhunt

As Red Army troops swept through German-occupied Poland, signaling the collapse of the Nazi regime, Mengele was transferred approximately 280 kilometers (170 mi) from Auschwitz to the Gross-Rosen concentration camp on 17 January 1945. This move occurred just ten days before the arrival of Soviet forces liberated Auschwitz, a desperate attempt by the Nazis to hide evidence of their atrocities.

After the war, facing imminent capture, Mengele managed to flee. Assisted by a clandestine network of former SS members and Nazi sympathizers (often referred to as "ratlines"), he successfully sailed to Argentina in July 1949. He initially resided in and around Buenos Aires, but as the global hunt for Nazi war criminals intensified, he continued to evade justice. He fled to Paraguay in 1959 and subsequently to Brazil in 1960. Throughout these decades, he remained one of the most wanted men in the world, relentlessly pursued by West Germany, Israel, and dedicated Nazi hunters, most notably Simon Wiesenthal. Despite numerous extradition requests from the West German government and determined clandestine operations by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, Mengele consistently eluded capture.

His Final Years and Posthumous Identification

Josef Mengele lived out his life as a free man, dying on 7 February 1979 after suffering a stroke while swimming off the coast of Bertioga, Brazil. He was buried under the false name of Wolfgang Gerhard, a deception that aimed to erase his trail even in death. However, the truth eventually surfaced. His remains were disinterred in 1985, and through meticulous forensic examination, including dental records and bone analysis, they were positively identified as those of Josef Mengele, confirming his death and ending one of the most extensive international manhunts in history.

Frequently Asked Questions About Josef Mengele

When and where was Josef Mengele born?
Josef Mengele was born on 16 March 1911 in Günzburg, Bavaria, Germany.
What was Josef Mengele's profession before the war?
Before World War II, Mengele had received doctorates in both anthropology and medicine and had begun a career as a researcher, specializing in genetics and racial hygiene.
When did Josef Mengele join the Nazi Party and the SS?
He joined the Nazi Party in 1937 and the Schutzstaffel (SS) in 1938.
Why was Josef Mengele known as the "Angel of Death"?
He earned the grim moniker "Angel of Death" for his role as a physician at Auschwitz, where he performed deadly, unethical, and pseudoscientific experiments on prisoners, particularly twins, and played a direct role in the selection process for the gas chambers.
What kinds of experiments did Mengele conduct at Auschwitz?
His experiments included studies on identical twins involving injections, transfusions, and comparative autopsies; attempts to change eye color; injecting diseases; and collecting body parts from victims for "racial collections." All his "research" was conducted without any regard for human life or ethical standards.
How did Josef Mengele escape after World War II?
After the war, Mengele utilized "ratlines," a network of former SS members and sympathizers, to escape Europe. He sailed to Argentina in 1949 and subsequently moved to Paraguay and Brazil, successfully evading capture for decades.
Which organizations hunted Josef Mengele after the war?
He was relentlessly sought by the West German government, the State of Israel (primarily through its intelligence agency, Mossad), and independent Nazi hunters such as Simon Wiesenthal.
When and how did Josef Mengele die?
Josef Mengele died on 7 February 1979, drowning after suffering a stroke while swimming off the coast of Bertioga, Brazil. He was buried under the false name of Wolfgang Gerhard.
When were Josef Mengele's remains identified?
His remains were disinterred and positively identified by forensic examination in 1985, confirming his death and location after decades of eluding justice.