The Nazi Origins of Eduard Pernkopf's Topographische Anatomie des Menschen

Summary

The atrocities produced by Nazi doctors during the Holocaust have left a lasting imprint on contemporary society and, in particular, the health professions. The discovery of the Nazi origins of a classic anatomy atlas is just one of many examples of scientific information obtained by doctors who violated the Hippocratic Oath and abused their power in the name of science. The focus of this paper is on how the origins of the Pernkopf anatomy atlas became known over 50 years after its creation. The ethical dilemmas that doctors and medical centers face as a result of this and other potentially tainted data is reviewed.