Books, bones and bodies: The relevance of the history of anatomy in Nazi Germany for medical education today

Abstract

The history of anatomy in Nazi Germany highlights the consequences to humanity when the destructive potentials immanent to all science and medicine are enabled by an anti-democratic, totalitarian regime. Anatomy presents an example of ethical transgressions by scientists and health care professionals that were amplified in the criminal political climate of the Nazi regime. This can happen anywhere, as science is never apolitical. This article gives a short account of anatomy in Nazi Germany, which is followed by an outline of the tangible and intangible legacies from this history, to then discuss implications for anatomy education today. While Jewish and politically dissident anatomists were forced out of their positions and country by the Nazi regime, the majority of the remaining anatomists joined the Nazi party and used bodies of Nazi victims for education and research. Some anatomists even performed deadly human experiments. Patterns and legacies that emerge from this history can be traced into the present and concern research ethics in general and anatomical body procurement specifically. They shed light on current practices and controversies in the anatomical sciences, including anthropology. It will be argued here that the history of anatomy in Nazi Germany can inform current anatomy education in a concept of anatomy as the first "clinical discipline." By integrating insights from the history of anatomy into the learning process, anatomy education can model an approach to medicine that includes a full appreciation of the shared humanity of medical practitioners and patients. K E Y W O R D Sanatomical body procurement, anatomy in Nazi Germany, ethics of anatomy, history of anatomy, humanities in anatomy education

Anatomists' uses of human skeletons: Ethical issues associated with the India bone trade and anonymized archival collections

“…In reply, Cornwall and co‐workers 25 , while agreeing that repatriation policies for privately held bones are needed, argue against the view that all non‐consented anatomical specimens should be destroyed. This is because they are tangible legacies of the past, that can be used to elicit discussion on contemporary ethical and professional practice 26 . They form a valuable legacy, because the activities of anatomists in the past, utilizing the best ethical understandings of the time, should not be ignored.…”

Evolution of a discipline—The changing face of anatomy

“…The first eight of these address how we can change the classroom environment to address historical transgressions against minoritized groups, how we can make the anatomical sciences and our classrooms more inclusive, and how we can incorporate effective communication training to have conversations about complex scientific and medical information with audiences outside of our field, including the public. Hildebrandt (2022) briefly outlines the history of anatomy in Nazi Germany and the legacies of that history and their implications for anatomy education today. This article argues that by incorporating elements of the history of anatomy into the curriculum, medical educators can model an approach to medicine that is centered in the shared humanity of practitioners and patients.…”

“…Hildebrandt ( 2022 ) briefly outlines the history of anatomy in Nazi Germany and the legacies of that history and their implications for anatomy education today. This article argues that by incorporating elements of the history of anatomy into the curriculum, medical educators can model an approach to medicine that is centered in the shared humanity of practitioners and patients.…”

Yield of a second right colon examination during colonoscopy after a first examination using a mucosal exposure device

“…Indeed, there have been several recent instances where scholars and medical educators have called for the removal of eponyms associated with Nazi science (Strous and Edelman, 2007;Woywodt and Matteson, 2007;Cohen, 2010;Winkelmann and Noack, 2010). Yet, most recently, Hildebrandt (2021) argues that any decision on the use of eponyms in anatomy requires an examination of the historical background of the name. In essence, removing eponyms elucidates content at the expense of context.…”