Siegfried Ruff
Siegfried Ruff | |
---|---|
Born | 19 February 1907 Friemersheim, German Empire |
Died | 22 April 1989 | (aged 82)
Occupation | Physician |
Political party | Nazi Party |
Criminal status | Acquitted |
Criminal charge | Conspiracy against peace War crimes Crimes against humanity |
Trial | Doctors' trial |
Siegfried Ruff (19 February 1907 – 22 April 1989) was a Nazi German physician who served as director of the Aviation Medicine Department at the German Experimental Institute for Aviation,[1] and was accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity for conducting medical atrocities. He was acquitted.
Nazi activities and Doctors' Trial[edit]
In the 1947 Doctors' Trial, Ruff was indicted on various war crimes allegedly committed during his time as a researcher at the Institute for Aviation.[2] Specifically, it was alleged he had overseen experiments that had resulted in the deaths of 80 Dachau concentration camp inmates.[2] While Ruff acknowledged human experimentation had occurred, he stated it had occurred according to the law and denied it had resulted in any deaths.[3] Ruff was acquitted of all charges against him.[2]
Post-War human experimentation[edit]
Following World War II, Ruff was hired by the U.S. Army Air Forces to work at a United States military hospital in Heidelberg conducting experiments on human exposure to high altitudes.[2]
In 1961 the International Academy of Aviation and Space Medicine chose to relocate its annual conference from West Germany over objections at Ruff's participation.[3]
Ruff enjoyed a distinguished medical career in postwar Germany.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ "Defendant Dr. Siegfried Ruff on the first day of his testimony in his own defense at the Doctors Trial". ushmm.org. U.S. Holocaust Museum. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^ a b c d Hunt, Linda (April 1985). "U.S. Coverup of Nazi Scientists". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 41 (4): 21–24.
- ^ a b "Tadel verpflichtet". Der Spiegel (in German). November 24, 1965. Retrieved March 5, 2018.
- ^ Moreno, Jonathan (2001). Undue Risk: Secret State Experiments on Humans. Psychology Press. pp. 56–57. ISBN 0415928354.