| AUSCHWITZ THE RACIAL CURE |
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| [the children] from finding out about their future fate of
being gassed.” But the larger point was always that, as long as a man
acted in accordance with the morass of Auschwitz we cannot judge him negatively
now: |
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One must be aware that in the Auschwitz milieu
where thousands were being killed continuously, such a thing [Mengele’s
killing a few twins] was nothing at all extraordinary. Absolutely nothing that
might be particularly noticed or come especially to his or anyone else's mind.
… But as an outsider one cannot understand this. |
Further, Dr. B. rejected evidence of Mengele's cruelty:
“I can't believe that …. It would be contrary to … the personal
impression I have of him … because through work I had only … purely
professional contact with him In slight qualification, B. admitted that he
could not observe Mengele in all situations, so that concerning “how he
behaved in his own camp and … concerning the selections … I can say
nothing.” But B.’s general message was: What I saw was commendable
and collegial. What I did not see I cannot comment on. If people say he did bad
things, they are exaggerating or fantasizing and I cannot believe them. Mengele
was merely acting consistently with Auschwitz principles, whatever he did. And,
no one who has not himself experienced Auschwitz can understand or judge these
things.
In his overall attempt to restore Mengele’s “good
name” Dr. B’s organizing principle was integrity. Mengele behaved
according to his convictions. Mengele also did valuable scientific work.
Perhaps there was a certain loss of humanity (Dr. B. admitted under my
prodding), but “if somebody is as convinced as he was that the Jews had to
be exterminated … then one can imagine how this restraint [associated with
ordinary humanity] does not exist” — and “always, again, has to
be seen under Auschwitz conditions.”
Mengele was no hypocrite,
that is, and showed initiative and a sense of responsibility in several ways.
As an example, Dr. B. told how Mengele was the only one among the SS doctors
who concerned himself with the practical [aspects] of gassing the overburdened
facilities and “technical … mistakes” made the whole process
“even more inhuman,” so that “as perverse as it may sound, he
took the trouble to look into these matters … for humanitarian
reasons.”
Contrasting Mengele’s constructive energies with
the usual Auschwitz attitude of “that's not my business,” Dr. B. on
several occasions told how, at the time of the evacuation of Auschwitz toward
the end of the war, when everyone was preoccupied with personal problems, only
Mengele had the presence of mind and sense of responsibility to organize the
dynamiting of the gas chambers. The task was really “under the
jurisdiction of the commandant, not the SS doctor,“ but the commandant
“would have been willing to leave the whole stinking mess [Sauerei,
slang |
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