Ernst-Robert Grawitz
GermanyBiography of Ernst-Robert Grawitz
Ernst-Robert Grawitz was a German doctor, Obergruppenführer of the SS, and SS Army General. He was born on June 8, 1899, in Charlottenburg, Germany. Grawitz was the grandson of the renowned German physician, Paul Grawitz.
Early Life and Education
In 1917, Grawitz voluntarily joined the German army and later became a British prisoner of war, holding the rank of lieutenant. After his release in 1919, he enrolled at Humboldt University in Berlin to study medicine. In 1929, he earned his medical degree and began working as a surgical assistant in one of Berlin's hospitals.
SS and Medical Career
On July 1, 1933, Grawitz joined the SS with the rank of Sturmbannführer. In 1935, Heinrich Himmler appointed him as the Chief of the Medical Service of the SS and Police. Under his direct supervision and with his approval, experiments were conducted on prisoners in concentration camps. Additionally, Grawitz oversaw research activities in various SS institutes and headed the Main Office of the German Red Cross.
Final Days and Legacy
Towards the end of World War II, Grawitz worked in Hitler's bunker. Upon learning of the approaching Red Army, he requested to be transferred elsewhere but his request was denied. On April 24, 1945, Grawitz, along with his wife and children, tragically died as a result of a grenade explosion in their home. This event was depicted in the film "Downfall". During the Nuremberg Trials, Grawitz's activities as a doctor were deemed criminal.
