Hubertus Strughold
Encyclopedia
Dr. Hubertus Strughold was a German doctor and prominent medical researcher during the early twentieth century. An emigre to the United States after World War II
, he is also known as "The Father of Space Medicine". He was the author of over 180 papers in the field of space medicine
. In the 1990s, his wartime association with Nazi medical experimentation
became controversial and greatly diminished his reputation.
, Germany
, and educated at Göttingen where he received a doctorate (Dr. med. et phil.) in 1922. He worked on aviation medicine
research from 1927 as Professor of Physiology at Würzburg
. He also spent time in the United States. In 1935, he became director of the Research Insitiute for Aviation Medicine (Luftfahrtmedizinisches Forschungsinstitut), Berlin
. As the head of Nazi Germany
's Air Force Institute for Aviation Medicine, Strughold participated in a 1942 conference that discussed "experiments" on human beings carried out by the institute. The experiments included subjecting inmates of the Dachau concentration camp to torture and death by being immersed in water, placed in air pressure chambers, forced to drink sea water and exposed to freezing temperatures. Strughold later denied approving the experiments and said he learned of them only after World War II. After the war, he was Professor of Physiology and Director, Physiological Institute, University of Heidelberg.
Strughold was brought to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip
. He first coined the term "space medicine" in 1948 and was the first and only Professor of Space Medicine at the School of Aviation Medicine (SAM) at Randolph Air Force Base
, Texas
. In 1949 Strughold was made director of the Department of Space Medicine at the SAM (which is now the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM) at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas). He played an important role in developing the pressure suit
worn by early American astronauts. He was a co-founder of the Space Medicine Branch of the Aerospace Medical Association
in 1950. He was named Chief Scientist, Aerospace Medical Division in 1961. The aeromedical library at Brooks AFB was named after him in 1977, but later renamed because documents from the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal
linked Strughold to medical experiments in which inmates from Dachau were tortured and killed.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he is also known as "The Father of Space Medicine". He was the author of over 180 papers in the field of space medicine
Space medicine
Space medicine is the practice of medicine on astronauts in outer space whereas astronautical hygiene is the application of science and technology to the prevention or control of exposure to the hazards that may cause astronaut ill health. Both these sciences work together to ensure that...
. In the 1990s, his wartime association with Nazi medical experimentation
Nazi human experimentation
Nazi human experimentation was a series of medical experiments on large numbers of prisoners by the Nazi German regime in its concentration camps mainly in the early 1940s, during World War II and the Holocaust. Prisoners were coerced into participating: they did not willingly volunteer and there...
became controversial and greatly diminished his reputation.
Biography
Strughold was born in WestphaliaWestphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
, Germany
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...
, and educated at Göttingen where he received a doctorate (Dr. med. et phil.) in 1922. He worked on aviation medicine
Aviation medicine
Aviation medicine, also called flight medicine or aerospace medicine, is a preventive or occupational medicine in which the patients/subjects are pilots, aircrews, or persons involved in spaceflight...
research from 1927 as Professor of Physiology at Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
. He also spent time in the United States. In 1935, he became director of the Research Insitiute for Aviation Medicine (Luftfahrtmedizinisches Forschungsinstitut), Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. As the head of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
's Air Force Institute for Aviation Medicine, Strughold participated in a 1942 conference that discussed "experiments" on human beings carried out by the institute. The experiments included subjecting inmates of the Dachau concentration camp to torture and death by being immersed in water, placed in air pressure chambers, forced to drink sea water and exposed to freezing temperatures. Strughold later denied approving the experiments and said he learned of them only after World War II. After the war, he was Professor of Physiology and Director, Physiological Institute, University of Heidelberg.
Strughold was brought to the United States as part of Operation Paperclip
Operation Paperclip
Operation Paperclip was the Office of Strategic Services program used to recruit the scientists of Nazi Germany for employment by the United States in the aftermath of World War II...
. He first coined the term "space medicine" in 1948 and was the first and only Professor of Space Medicine at the School of Aviation Medicine (SAM) at Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located east-northeast of San Antonio, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 902d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command ....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. In 1949 Strughold was made director of the Department of Space Medicine at the SAM (which is now the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM) at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas). He played an important role in developing the pressure suit
Pressure suit
A pressure suit is a protective suit worn by high-altitude pilots who may fly at altitudes where the air pressure is too low for an unprotected person to survive, even breathing pure oxygen at positive pressure. Such suits may be either full-pressure or partial-pressure...
worn by early American astronauts. He was a co-founder of the Space Medicine Branch of the Aerospace Medical Association
Aerospace Medical Association
The Aerospace Medical Association is the largest professional organization in the fields of aviation, space, and environmental medicine. The AsMA membership includes aerospace and hyperbaric medicine specialists, scientists, flight nurses, physiologists, and researchers from all over the world.-...
in 1950. He was named Chief Scientist, Aerospace Medical Division in 1961. The aeromedical library at Brooks AFB was named after him in 1977, but later renamed because documents from the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal
Nuremberg Trials
The Nuremberg Trials were a series of military tribunals, held by the victorious Allied forces of World War II, most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political, military, and economic leadership of the defeated Nazi Germany....
linked Strughold to medical experiments in which inmates from Dachau were tortured and killed.
Legacy
- Strughold received the Americanism Medal from the Daughters of the American RevolutionDaughters of the American RevolutionThe Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
. - In 1963, the Space Medicine Branch of the Aerospace Medical Association initiated the "Hubertus Strughold Award", which is given each year for the greatest achievement in space medicine.
- In 1985, the Texas SenateTexas SenateThe Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
declared June 15, 1985, as "Dr. Hubertus Strughold Day". - Strughold's picture was removed from the mural The World History of Medicine at Ohio State UniversityOhio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
in 1993. - Strughold's name was also removed from Brooks Air Force Base's aeromedical library in 1995.
- The television show The X-FilesThe X-FilesThe X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
weaves Strughold (renamed Victor Klemper in the show) into its complex government conspiracy mythology. In the episode "Paper Clip" (1995), characters visit the fictitious Strughold Mining Company, a front company whose long-abandoned warehouse was used to store data related to post-World War II genetic research. - In May 2006, Strughold's name was removed from the International Space Hall of FameInternational Space Hall of FameThe New Mexico Museum of Space History is a museum and planetarium complex in Alamogordo, New Mexico, dedicated to artifacts and displays related to space flight and the space age. It includes the International Space Hall of Fame. The Museum of Space History highlights the role that New Mexico has...
by unanimous vote of the New Mexico Museum of Space History's board.
External links
- Additional references and photograph at http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=34223 and http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=101442