Dr. Death has left the building.

February 5, 2009 9:42 AM

Dr. Aribert Heim known to his friends as Dr. Death was the "Most Wanted" Nazi War Criminal whose whereabouts were unknown. He has been found, having lived in Cairo, and died there in 1992 after converting to Islam. Previously, he had been thought to be living in Chile. The long hunt for Heim and previous misinformation had led to some doubts from experts that the case is indeed, finally, closed.
posted by grapefruitmoon (27 comments total)

His friends called him Dr. Death? I'd hate to think what they called him behind his back.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:46 AM on February 5, 2009

Dr Heim fled Baden-Baden, Germany, in 1962...

The second most wanted Nazi managed to hide in Germany for almost 20 years?

He then disappeared, via an underground Nazi network in Spain, to Uruguay where he continued his post-war occupation as gynaecologist before moving on in 1983.

Underground Nazis! Gynecologist?! Until 1983??

Dr Heim spent his last years obsessively working on a theory to deny the possibility of anti-Semitism by proving that Jews had an ethnic origin outside Israel or Palestine.

100% NON-SELF-DEFEATING
posted by DU at 9:59 AM on February 5, 2009

The "doubts" article is involuntarily funny, in a way. When officials from the Wiesenthal Center express "serious doubts" that a man born in 1914, who would be 94 years old today, is actually dead, it smacks of denial.
posted by Joakim Ziegler at 9:59 AM on February 5, 2009

it smacks of denial

I was going to say the same, but then I started wondering why there isn't a body or grave. Then again, I guess Egypt isn't going to be too interested in furthering Holocaust "hysteria".
posted by DU at 10:03 AM on February 5, 2009

denial
He could see that from the house he died in.
posted by Abiezer at 10:04 AM on February 5, 2009 [6 favorites]

His friends called him Dr. Death? I'd hate to think what they called him behind his back.

Fluffy Q. Snugglekins.
posted by The Whelk at 10:11 AM on February 5, 2009

Obviously, his family in Germany knew where he was and even sent himmoney and visited him. We should have waterboarded them to get that information.
posted by orthogonality at 10:16 AM on February 5, 2009

I was going to say the same, but then I started wondering why there isn't a body or grave.

That's explained at the end of the NYT article. Apparently he wanted to donate his body to science, but that's not allowed under Islamic law. They bribed a hospital worker to take his body. But once authorities found out, he was cremated and buried in a pauper's grave.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:21 AM on February 5, 2009

The "doubts" article is involuntarily funny, in a way. When officials from the Wiesenthal Center express "serious doubts" that a man born in 1914, who would be 94 years old today, is actually dead, it smacks of denial.

I think the main doubt is whether he actually died in Egypt. It's likely that he is dead, but there's no way to confirm the fact or the location.

Obviously, his family in Germany knew where he was and even sent himmoney and visited him. We should have waterboarded them to get that information.

We should have let bygones be bygones and let mass murderers live out their days in peace. You may now go derail another thread with your one-track drivel.
posted by Krrrlson at 10:25 AM on February 5, 2009

So, Mr. Evil...
Dr. Evil: It's Dr. Evil, I didn't spend six years in Evil Medical School to be called "mister," thank you very much.

The NYT article didn't say he was cremated, just that he was anonymously interred in a common (meaning mass, I guess) grave.
posted by found missing at 10:29 AM on February 5, 2009

We should have let bygones be bygones and let mass murderers live out their days in peace.

If I understand your sarcasm correctly, you are now in favor of pursuing charges against Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and others?
posted by DU at 10:37 AM on February 5, 2009 [1 favorite]

We should have let bygones be bygones and let mass murderers live out their days in peace.

I couldn't disagree with this more. Of course, I couldn't disagree with waterboarding more either. "Justice" fueled by torture isn't justice at all.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 10:38 AM on February 5, 2009

his family in Germany knew where he was and even sent him money and visited him.

If I found out that one of my family members had been injecting gasoline into the hearts of helpless prisoners, I wouldn't do this. Maybe I'm just a bad son. Or a human being.
posted by DU at 10:43 AM on February 5, 2009 [1 favorite]

Rather freaky that on the NYT page a Google Ad for this gentleman appeared. The resemblance is striking.
posted by jim in austin at 10:46 AM on February 5, 2009

The NYT article didn't say he was cremated, just that he was anonymously interred in a common (meaning mass, I guess) grave.

You are correct. My mistake.
posted by mudpuppie at 10:50 AM on February 5, 2009

The hunt for Nazi War Criminals is a difficult thing to process, sometimes. On one hand, you have the satisfaction of knowing they will all die, the official nazi movement dead with them. The only legacy one of shame and a handful of ineffectual neo-nazi gangs whose numbers ultimately dwindle. On the the other hand, you have millions of victims who never get to see some of the worst offenders brought to justice.

On that first hand again, though: Rot in hell, you vicious evil motherfucker.
posted by shmegegge at 10:56 AM on February 5, 2009

it smacks of denial.

True, unless he's a zombie nazi.
posted by ob at 11:14 AM on February 5, 2009

We should have let bygones be bygones and let mass murderers live out their days in peace.

I really hope that this was sarcastic. If we should let mass murderers live out their days in peace, what should we do with ordinary murderers? Give them a medal? At some point, people must be held accountable for their actions; hopefully, it occurs before they die.
posted by Simon Barclay at 11:16 AM on February 5, 2009

Maybe he should have picked a different religion to convert to:

(from Wikipedia:)

Muslims believe in jahannam (in Arabic: جهنم) (which is related to the Hebrew word gehinnom and resembles the versions of Hell in Christianity). In the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam, there are literal descriptions of the condemned in a fiery Hell, as contrasted to the garden-like Paradise (jannah) enjoyed by righteous believers.

In addition, Heaven and Hell are split into many different levels depending on the actions perpetrated in life, where punishment is given depending on the level of evil done in life, and good is separated into other levels depending on how well one followed God while alive. The gate of Hell is guarded by Maalik who is the leader of the angels assigned as the guards of hell also known as Zabaaniyah. The Quran states that the fuel of Hellfire is rocks/stones (idols) and human beings.

Although generally Hell is often portrayed as a hot steaming and tormenting place for sinners, there is one Hell pit which is characterized differently from the other Hell in Islamic tradition. Zamhareer is seen as the coldest and the most freezing Hell of all; yet its coldness is not seen as a pleasure or a relief to the sinners who committed crimes against God. The state of the Hell of Zamhareer is a suffering of extreme coldness, of blizzards, ice, and snow which no one on this earth can bear. The lowest pit of all existing Hells is the Hawiyah which is meant for the hypocrites and two-faced people who claimed to believe in Allah and His messenger by the tongue but denounced both in their hearts. Hypocrisy is considered to be the most dangerous sin of all (despite the fact that Shirk is the greatest sin viewed by Allah). According to the Qur'an, all non-believers who have received and rejected Islamic teachings will go to Hell.
posted by found missing at 11:18 AM on February 5, 2009

For detailed annotated information about the underground organization that this Doctor was a part, listen to anti fascist Dave Emory,s pedantic archived program, How the United States lost the second world war. the information is very interesting. AFA 37
posted by hortense at 11:25 AM on February 5, 2009 [1 favorite]

The Times front-paged two Nazi-related stories today, this one and one on the Vatican's denunciation of Bishop Richard Williamson. While I was reading the paper this morning, I wondered, if someone from 1945 could see that page, what they would think to see the Nazi shadow cast over 64 years.
posted by octobersurprise at 11:26 AM on February 5, 2009

His friends called him Dr. Death?

“Dr. Heim had a habit of looking into inmates’ mouths to determine whether their teeth were in impeccable condition,” Mr. Kohl said, according to a transcript of the interview. “If this were the case, he would kill the prisoner with an injection, cut his head off, leave it to cook in the crematorium for hours, until all the flesh was stripped from the naked skull, and prepare the skull for himself and his friends as a decoration for their desks.”

How many people get fresh skulls from their friends?
posted by me & my monkey at 3:48 PM on February 5, 2009

The second most wanted Nazi managed to hide in Germany for almost 20 years?

Paul Touvier was sheltered in France for decades, mostly by the Catholic Church. It's not that unusual, unfortunately.
posted by rodgerd at 4:10 PM on February 5, 2009

Wow. I think that's five posts at one time on the blue that each fill me with their little flavor of rage, and I saw each of them in succession.

And hiding Nazis in Germany? What a shock. Kind of like of our former fearless leader, a whole lot of people who were once in sympathy prefer to make like it never happened.

Bastards.
posted by atchafalaya at 4:25 PM on February 5, 2009

extreme coldness, of blizzards, ice, and snow which no one on this earth can bear.

I don't get this...what does it mean that it is unbearable? Are you going to die of it? You're already dead. Therefore it's bearable. This is why I've never understood hell (or heaven for that matter). At some point in all of eternity, you're gonna get used to, and thus bored with, your situation. Hey puppies and ice cream and hugs every day for ETERNITY!! After awhile aren't you gonna be like "hey how about a day off from all the ecstasy, eh?" Same thing with hell - day 6 billion 900 million, 250 thousand and 3 of blizzards, ice and snow?? Whatevs...pass the Reader's Digest.
posted by spicynuts at 8:03 PM on February 5, 2009

Whatevs...pass the Reader's Digest.

Sure... but what good is a Reader's Digest WITH ALL THE JOKES CLIPPED OUT??
posted by Kraftmatic Adjustable Cheese at 9:56 PM on February 5, 2009 [1 favorite]

You're gonna need to wipe your butt with something.
posted by spicynuts at 2:55 PM on February 6, 2009