Adolf Winkelmann (medical doctor)

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Adolf Ludwig Winkelmann (born March 26, 1887 in Salzkotten ; † February 1, 1947 in Hamburg ) was SS-Hauptsturmführer and was most recently employed as a German concentration camp doctor in the Ravensbrück women's concentration camp .

Life

The state exam consisted Winkelmann in 1913 at the University of Kiel , on 26 September 1914, he received his license to practice as a doctor . He did his doctorate under Walter Stoeckel , worked at various hospitals and was employed as a doctor in the Reichsmarine during the First World War . After the war he was in 1918 a member of a volunteer corps before settling as a practicing physician in Lippstadt settled.

On May 1, 1933, he joined the NSDAP ( membership number 3.101.530), on June 18, 1933, he joined the Schutzstaffel (SS number 109.112). Winkelmann was promoted to SS-Unterscharführer on September 15, 1935 , to Oberscharführer on November 9, 1936, and to Hauptsturmführer on January 30, 1939. From January to October 1940 he was employed as a regimental doctor in the rank of SS-Hauptsturmführer of the reserve in the 8th SS regiment of the Waffen-SS in Cracow .

Until December 1, 1944 he worked as a medical officer in Częstochowa . He was subordinated to Enno Lolling for the first time . After short deployments in the Groß-Rosen concentration camp and in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp , he was transferred to the Ravensbrück women's concentration camp at the end of February 1945 . Here he was under Richard Trommer .

Ravensbrück concentration camp

Winkelmann admitted to having selected prisoners unable to work together with Richard Trommer, but the purpose of the selection had remained hidden to him: "I knew that some transports came to the Uckermark youth camp , but I didn't know for what purpose." He was only himself been there a few times. In contrast, there were the statements of all witnesses who unanimously confirmed his participation in the selections there. During his service in Ravensbrück, he and Trommer “selected around 1,500 - 2,000 prisoners for removal”. Winkelmann described these selections in court:

“The searches took place on one of the camp streets or in a barrack, but very rarely. The prisoners marched in a row to Dr. Trommer and past me. Of course, we could only do a very cursory examination, and the people who were obviously sick, incapable of work, or unable to march were looked for. The inmates bared their legs so that we could see whether they were able to march. "

Winkelmann assured that he did not know that selecting could mean death for the prisoners. He also did not know that there was a gas chamber in the camp. He always acted only on orders from Trommer, who told him that it was a matter of making a selection for the evacuation of the camp. He was horrified to have participated in such a crime. Up until then he had never heard of gassings in Germany and had only known about Auschwitz-Birkenau so far . Since Percival Treite and Franz Lucas were busy with the selections for the gas chamber in Ravensbrück, he was the third doctor responsible for the area.

In support of his exoneration, a witness testified that Winkelmann had refused to perform an abortion on her because it had violated his medical ethos. According to his own statements, he did not see any abuse of prisoners in the precinct and did not carry out any.

Winkelmann died during the first of the seven Ravensbrück trials in Hamburg on February 1, 1947 as a result of a heart attack. Despite some doubts, the court found him guilty, but no sentence was passed due to the death.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Ernst Klee : The dictionary of persons on the Third Reich. Who was what before and after 1945 . Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, second updated edition, Frankfurt am Main 2005, ISBN 978-3-596-16048-8 , p. 679.
personal data
SURNAME Winkelmann, Adolf
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Winkelmann, Adolf Ludwig (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German concentration camp doctor
DATE OF BIRTH March 26, 1887
PLACE OF BIRTH Salzkotten
DATE OF DEATH February 1, 1947
Place of death Hamburg