Dachau Hypothermia Experiments

The immersion-hypothermia project was conducted at the Dachau concentration camp between August 1942 and May 1943. ts purpose was to estab!ish the most e""ecti#e treatment "or #ictims o" immersion hypothermia$ particu!ar!y crew members o" the %erman air "orce who had been shot down into the co!d waters o" the &orth 'ea. The subjects in the e(periment were ma!e ci#i!ian prisoners be!onging to #arious re!igions and nationa!ities$ as we!! as )ussian prisoners o" war. Their participation was usua!!y "orced$ but occasiona!!y it was *#o!untary* in response to promises$ rare!y "u!"i!!ed$ o" re!ease "rom the camp or commutation o" the death sentence. During the e(periments$ the subjects were immersed in a tan+ o" ice water. 'ome were anestheti,ed$ others conscious- many were na+ed$ but others were dressed. 'e#era! di""erent methods o" rewarming the subjects were a!so tested. )esponses o" body temperatures$ c!inica! mani"estations$ and se!ected biochemica! and physio!ogic measurements were purported!y monitored$ and autopsies were per"ormed. .)ecta! measurements o" temperature are gi#en throughout this paper./ n an attempt to concea! the atrocities$ the origina!$ incriminating records o" most o" the concentration-camp studies o" humans were destroyed be"ore the camps were captured by the A!!ied "orces. A !arge body o" in"ormation was !ater reco#ered$ howe#er$ pertaining to the e(tensi#e communications between the in#estigators and 0einrich 0imm!er$ the )eichs"1hrer o" the '' .&a,i specia! po!ice/. mmediate!y a"ter the war$ 2eo A!e(ander in#estigated the Dachau hypothermia e(periments and prepared a 223-page report that inc!uded 43 pages o" persona! commentary about the bac+ground and substance o" the study and a reproduction o" a 54-page comprehensi#e report to 0imm!er on the Dachau e(periments$ signed by Drs. 0o!,!oehner$ )ascher$ and 6in+e and dated 7ctober 21$ 1942. 7ne study "orced subjects to endure a tan+ o" ice water "or up to "i#e hours.
Water temperature 5.2 ;< .41.4 ;6/ 4 ;< .43 ;6/ 4 ;< .39 ;6/ 4 ;< .39 ;6/ 4.5 ;< .4?.1 ;6/ 4.4 ;< .4?.3 ;6/ 4.2 ;< .39.4 ;6/ *8(itus* .death/ tab!e compi!ed by Dr 'igmund )ascher99: Body temperature when removed from the Body temperature at water death 2=.= ;< .31.9 ;6/ 2=.= ;< .31.9 ;6/ 29.2 ;< .34.4 ;6/ 29.2 ;< .34.4 ;6/ 2=.3 ;< .32.? ;6/ 2=.5 ;< .31.5 ;6/ 23.= ;< .33.= ;6/ 24 ;< .=9 ;6/ 2=.3 ;< .32.? ;6/ 25.= ;< .=3.3 ;6/ 2=.3 ;< .32.? ;6/ 24.4 ;< .=9.9 ;6/ 24.= ;< .3?.1 ;6/ 25.9 ;< .=3.4 ;6/ Time in water 44> 3?> 95> 4?> 5=> 51> 53> 44> 3=> =4> 45> 45> 53> Time of death

Attempt no. 5 13 14 14 23 25

Another study p!aced prisoners na+ed in the open air "or se#era! hours with temperatures as !ow as 21 ;6. @esides studying the physica! e""ects o" co!d e(posure$ the e(perimenters a!so assessed di""erent methods o" rewarming sur#i#ors. "One assistant later testified that some victims were thrown into boiling water for rewarming" The "ree,ingAhypothermia e(periments were conducted "or the &a,i high command to simu!ate the conditions the armies su""ered on the 8astern 6ront$ as the %erman "orces were i!!-prepared "or the co!d weather they encountered. Many e(periments were conducted on captured )ussian troops- the &a,is wondered whether their genetics ga#e them superior resistance to co!d. The principa! !oca!es were Dachau and Auschwit,. Dr. 'igmund )ascher$ an '' doctor based at Dachau$ reported direct!y to )eichs"1hrer-'' 0einrich 0imm!er and pub!ici,ed the resu!ts o" his "ree,ing e(periments at the 1942 medica! con"erence entit!ed *Medica! Brob!ems Arising "rom 'ea and Cinter*. Appro(imate!y 1?? peop!e are reported to ha#e died as a resu!t o" these e(periments.