Kurt Plötner
Encyclopedia
Kurt Friedrich Plötner (19 October 190526 February 1984) was a Nazi Party member and doctor who conducted human experimentation
on Jews and Soviet prisoners of war in German concentration camps
. American intelligence recruited him to work for the United States
in 1945. He returned to the medical field
as a professor at the University of Freiburg
in West Germany
after working for the Americans and living under an alias
.
on October 19, 1905. A devoted Nazi as well as a Leipzig
lecturer and researcher, he joined the SS as a physician
in the 1930s, reaching the SS rank of Sturmbannführer
.
Plötner participated in a series of research tasks involving human experimentation
at the Dachau concentration camp during the Second World War II
. These included participation in the malaria
experiments of Claus Schilling
, in which prisoners were injected with drugs at lethal doses. In 1944, he was given Dachau physician Sigmund Rascher
's role as head of the "Department R" of the Ahnenerbe
project for carrying out experimental work on living subjects. Plötner also administered the hallucinogenic mescaline
to Jews and Russian prisoners, watching them display schizophrenic behavior as part of the Nazi search for a truth serum
that could be employed as an aid in interrogations.
Plötner's work in the concentration camps came to the attention of Boris Pash
, an American intelligence officer who would go on to work in the CIA at the time of Operation BLUEBIRD in the late 1940s, and the United States Navy
's intelligence officers recruited him in 1945, permitting him to continue his interrogation research. Plötner proceeded to live under the name of "Schmitt" in Schleswig-Holstein
into the early 1950s.
Despite Plötner's actual residence in this western German zone, when the French government
sought to have Plötner prosecuted in 1946 and appealed to the United States for assistance, the Americans replied that he could not be located, and was probably being shielded by the Soviet Union
. He subsequently was able to quietly resume his real identity in 1952, at which time he was hired by the University of Freiburg
in West Germany
. He became an associate professor in 1954.
Plötner died on February 26, 1984.
Human experimentation
Human subject research includes experiments and observational studies. Human subjects are commonly participants in research on basic biology, clinical medicine, nursing, psychology, and all other social sciences. Humans have been participants in research since the earliest studies...
on Jews and Soviet prisoners of war in German concentration camps
Nazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
. American intelligence recruited him to work for the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1945. He returned to the medical field
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
as a professor at the University of Freiburg
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
after working for the Americans and living under an alias
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
.
Biography
Kurt Friedrich Plötner was born in HermsdorfHermsdorf
Hermsdorf may refer to the following places:*in Germany:**Hermsdorf, Brandenburg, in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district, Brandenburg**Hermsdorf, Saxony-Anhalt, in the Börde district, Saxony-Anhalt**Hermsdorf, Saxony, in the Weißeritzkreis district, Saxony...
on October 19, 1905. A devoted Nazi as well as a Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
lecturer and researcher, he joined the SS as a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
in the 1930s, reaching the SS rank of Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
.
Plötner participated in a series of research tasks involving human experimentation
Human experimentation
Human subject research includes experiments and observational studies. Human subjects are commonly participants in research on basic biology, clinical medicine, nursing, psychology, and all other social sciences. Humans have been participants in research since the earliest studies...
at the Dachau concentration camp during the Second World War II
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...
. These included participation in the malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
experiments of Claus Schilling
Claus Schilling
Claus Karl Schilling , also recorded as Klaus Schilling, was a German tropical medicine specialist, particularly remembered for his infamous participation in the Nazi human experiments at the Dachau concentration camp during World War II.Though never a member of the Nazi Party and a recognized...
, in which prisoners were injected with drugs at lethal doses. In 1944, he was given Dachau physician Sigmund Rascher
Sigmund Rascher
Sigmund Rascher was a German SS doctor.His deadly experiments on humans, planned and executed in the Nazi concentration camp of Dachau, were judged inhumane and criminal during the Nuremberg Trials.-Early life and career:Rascher was born the third child of Hanns-August Rascher , a...
's role as head of the "Department R" of the Ahnenerbe
Ahnenerbe
The Ahnenerbe was a Nazi German think tank that promoted itself as a "study society for Intellectual Ancient History." Founded on July 1, 1935, by Heinrich Himmler, Herman Wirth, and Richard Walther Darré, the Ahnenerbe's goal was to research the anthropological and cultural history of the Aryan...
project for carrying out experimental work on living subjects. Plötner also administered the hallucinogenic mescaline
Mescaline
Mescaline or 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenethylamine is a naturally occurring psychedelic alkaloid of the phenethylamine class used mainly as an entheogen....
to Jews and Russian prisoners, watching them display schizophrenic behavior as part of the Nazi search for a truth serum
Truth Serum
Truth Serum is an independent comic book series created, written and drawn by author Jon Adams.-Overview:Originally published as a mini comic in 2001 and given away for free, it appeared as a three-issue mini series published by Slave Labor Graphics in 2002...
that could be employed as an aid in interrogations.
Plötner's work in the concentration camps came to the attention of Boris Pash
Boris Pash
Boris T. Pash was a United States Army officer.-Biography:He was born in San Francisco, California, on June 20, 1900. His father was Rev. Theodore Pashkovsky , a Russian Orthodox priest who had been sent to California by the Church in 1894...
, an American intelligence officer who would go on to work in the CIA at the time of Operation BLUEBIRD in the late 1940s, and the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
's intelligence officers recruited him in 1945, permitting him to continue his interrogation research. Plötner proceeded to live under the name of "Schmitt" in Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
into the early 1950s.
Despite Plötner's actual residence in this western German zone, when the French government
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
sought to have Plötner prosecuted in 1946 and appealed to the United States for assistance, the Americans replied that he could not be located, and was probably being shielded by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. He subsequently was able to quietly resume his real identity in 1952, at which time he was hired by the University of Freiburg
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. He became an associate professor in 1954.
Plötner died on February 26, 1984.