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| Dr Robert Jay Lifton |
THE NAZI DOCTORS:
Medical
Killing and
the
Psychology
of Genocide © |
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| Page
79 |
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| “Euthanasia”: Direct Medical
Killing |
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| as Sonderkommando Lange [its commander],” and
represented an early blending of three elements of the Final Solution: the
“euthanasia” program, laboratory science and SS technology
(contributing to innovations in gassing), and Einsatzgruppen units (here
working with the new gassing technology). In October 1941, Brack and Eichmann
decided to use these vans for Jews in general who were “incapable of
working.” Three were installed at the first pure extermination camp at
Chelmno/Kulmhof (using personnel from Soldau), where they killed mainly Jews,
but also Gypsies, typhus victims, Soviet POWs, and the insane. In a replica of
the T4 procedure, victims were told they would shower while their clothing was
being disinfected. SS officers wore white coats and carried stethoscopes.
Prisoners had their valuables registered, then followed a “To the
Bath” sign, up a ramp and into the van. When no more noise was audible
from the van, it was driven to the woods nearby where Jewish Kommandos unloaded
the corpses into mass graves. (Because of noxious gases, a crematorium was
later installed.) Chelmno/Kulmhof, in reclaimed German territory, was the first
of the extermination camps in the General Government, followed by
Bélzec, Sobibór, and Treblinka, all of which still more closely
resembled “euthanasia” killing centers in the use of stationary gas
chambers and T4 personnel.84 (See chapter 7
and pages 142-44.) |
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THE NAZI DOCTORS:
Medical Killing and the
Psychology of
Genocide
Robert J. Lifton
ISBN 0-465-09094
©
1986 |
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Back |
Page 79 |
Forward |
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