Hans Eppinger Austrian doctor Date of Birth: 05.01.1879

1. Hans Eppinger: Infamous Nazi Doctor
2. Early Life and Career
3. Distinguished Career and Connections
4. Atrocities at Dachau
5. Post-War Trial and Demise
6. Legacy and Repudiation

Hans Eppinger: Infamous Nazi Doctor

Hans Eppinger, an Austrian physician, earned notoriety for his cruel experiments on inmates at the Dachau concentration camp during World War II.

Early Life and Career

Born in Prague in 1878, Eppinger came from a family of doctors. He studied medicine in Graz and Strasbourg, graduating in 1903. He worked at a hospital in Graz from 1903 to 1908, before moving to Vienna in 1908. By 1909, he had developed a focus on internal medicine, particularly liver diseases.

Distinguished Career and Connections

In 1918, Eppinger became a professor and taught at the universities of Graz (1926-1930) and Cologne (1930-1936). His clientele included high-profile individuals, such as Joseph Stalin (1936) and Queen Marie of Romania (1937).

Atrocities at Dachau

However, Eppinger's legacy is tainted by his sinister actions during World War II. Along with Wilhelm Beigelbock, he conducted gruesome experiments on prisoners at Dachau. In one infamous study, they forced 90 Romani prisoners to drink only seawater for an extended period. The subjects suffered severe dehydration, and eyewitnesses reported that they even licked the water from freshly cleaned floors. The experiment aimed to determine the physical effects of such a "diet" over 6-12 days.

Post-War Trial and Demise

Following the war, Eppinger was scheduled to face trial at the Nuremberg Tribunal. However, he ingested poison a month before his scheduled appearance. It was later revealed that he had a Swiss bank account, but he did not live to use the funds.

Legacy and Repudiation

In 1970, the Falk Foundation of Freiburg established the Eppinger Prize for outstanding contributions to liver research. However, the award was discontinued in 1973 when Eppinger's wartime atrocities came to light. In 1976, a lunar crater was named after Eppinger, but it was renamed "Euclides D" in 2002 after astronomers learned of his crimes.