Josef Mengele

Dan Snow's History Hit

History Hit

History

4.7 • 12.9K Ratings

🗓️ 19 February 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Nazi doctor who committed heinous experiments on prisoners of Auschwitz was harboured by a network of Nazi supporters in Argentina after the war. As an SS officer and physician, he conducted horrific tests on prisoners, particularly twins, in pursuit of pseudoscientific racial theories. His name has become synonymous with Nazi war crimes.

After World War II, Mengele evaded justice, escaping to South America. He lived in Argentina for years under an assumed identity, avoiding capture despite international efforts to bring him to trial. In this episode, Dan is joined by the award-winning journalist Betina Anton who tracked down the woman who helped him hide. The woman was Betina's old school teacher.

Warning: This episode contains descriptions of human suffering that listeners may find upsetting. This episode also contains mention of outdated terminology for historical context.

Betina's book is called 'Hiding Mengele: How a Nazi Network Harbored the Angel of Death'

Produced by James Hickmann and Mariana Des Forges, edited by Dougal Patmore

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