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Fritz Ernst FischerSurgeon, concentration camp doctor, SS Sturmbannführer
Date of Birth: 05.10.1912
Country:  Germany |
Content:
Biography of Fritz Ernst Fischer
Fritz Ernst Fischer was a surgeon, a doctor in the concentration camp system, and an SS-Sturmbannführer. He was also one of the closest assistants to Karl Gebhardt. Fischer was the son of a merchant and studied medicine at the universities of Berlin, Bonn, and Leipzig.
Early Career
At the beginning of his career, Fischer worked as an assistant to Berthold Ostertag at the Rudolf Virchow Hospital in Berlin. In February 1934, he joined the SS, and on May 1, 1937, he became a member of the NSDAP. After two years, he was transferred to the SS lazaretto in Hohenlychen, which was under the jurisdiction of the Waffen-SS. There, he worked as an assistant to Karl Gebhardt, who was later sentenced to death in the Nuremberg Doctors' Trial. Fischer was later transferred to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, where he, together with Percy Treite, conducted experiments on female prisoners to study sulfonamide.
War and Trial
In May 1943, Fischer was sent to the front. After being wounded and having his right hand amputated on August 18, 1944, he was transferred to the Charité Hospital in Berlin. Fischer was married and had three children - two sons and a daughter. He appeared as one of the defendants in the Doctors' Trial. The Nuremberg Doctors' Trial took place from December 9, 1946, to August 20, 1947. He was accused of criminal experiments involving sulfonamide, as well as muscle, nerve, and bone tissue transplantation.
During his defense plea, he stated, "At that time, I was a soldier, and furthermore, I was working under the guidance of a strong personality. I was given clear orders to conduct the research that could help soldiers on the frontlines."
Post-Trial Life
Fischer was sentenced to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and participation in criminal organizations. On January 31, 1951, his sentence was reduced to 10 years. He was released early on April 1, 1954. After his release, Fischer worked for the Boehringer Ingelheim pharmaceutical company.
