Werner Catel
Encyclopedia
Werner Catel Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at the University of Leipzig
, was one of three doctors considered an expert on the programme of euthanasia
for children and participated in the Action T4
"euthanasia
" program for the Nazis
, the other two being Carl Hans Heinze Sennhenn
and Ernst Wentzler.
In early 1939 a farm labourer called Richard Kretschmar requested Catel's permission to euthanize one of his children, now identified as Gerhard Kretschmar
, who had been born blind and deformed. Catel deferred the matter and suggested the father write directly to Hitler
for permission. Hitler subsequently sent Dr Karl Brandt
to confer with Catel and decide on a course of action. On July 25, 1939 the child was killed.
The T4 program was influenced by a popular book written in 1920 by Alfred Hoche
and Karl Binding
. Catel as part of this program was surely influenced by it, too. In his 1962 publication, "Grenzsituation des Lebens" (Border situations of life), Catel argued for the reintroduction of euthanasia. As had Binding and Hoche, Catel identified three possible types of euthanasia.
"Real" euthanasia was seen as the killing of a person who was suffering from so much pain, that an ever increasing amount of pain reducing drugs had to be administered. This consequently lead to the person's death.
The killing of a patient whose illness "according to medical experience" is so bad "that there is no hope of recovery", but whose death is also not to be expected in the near future. (See terminal sedation
)
The "extermination of the life of an "idiot child" or an adult in a similar condition. Catel defined "idiot children" as being "such monsters ... which are nothing but a massa carnis"(Martin Luther
), have no personality or spiritual soul (Guardini), are unable to make decisions (Thomas More
) or are unable to communicate with their surroundings.(Alfred Hoche)
After the war Catel took charge of the Mammolshöhe Children's Mental Home near Kronberg, where he continued to rally for the euthanasia of children deemed beyond hope. In 1949 he was found to have committed no grave crimes by a denazification
board in Hamburg
, and became attached to the University of Kiel
in 1954. There was talk after his death in 1981, of establishing a Werner Catel Foundation with $200,000 of unclaimed money left after his death, but the idea was finally dismissed in 1984.
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
, was one of three doctors considered an expert on the programme of euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
for children and participated in the Action T4
Action T4
Action T4 was the name used after World War II for Nazi Germany's eugenics-based "euthanasia" program during which physicians killed thousands of people who were "judged incurably sick, by critical medical examination"...
"euthanasia
Euthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
" program for the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
, the other two being Carl Hans Heinze Sennhenn
Carl Hans Heinze Sennhenn
Carl "Hans Heinze" Sennhenn was a Nazi German psychiatrist and eugenicist.Hans Heinze was the director of the mental institution Heilanstalt Brandenburg-Görden, where he supervised the murder by injection, starvation and poisoning of thousands of children whose brains he then supplied to Nazi...
and Ernst Wentzler.
In early 1939 a farm labourer called Richard Kretschmar requested Catel's permission to euthanize one of his children, now identified as Gerhard Kretschmar
Gerhard Kretschmar
Gerhard Herbert Kretschmar , was a German child born with severe disabilities. After receiving a petition from the child's parents, the German chancellor Adolf Hitler authorized one of his personal physicians, Dr Karl Brandt, to have the child killed...
, who had been born blind and deformed. Catel deferred the matter and suggested the father write directly to Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
for permission. Hitler subsequently sent Dr Karl Brandt
Karl Brandt
Karl Brandt was a German Nazi war criminal. He rose to the rank of SS-Gruppenführer in the Allgemeine-SS and SS-Brigadeführer in the Waffen-SS. Among other positions, Brandt headed the administration of the Nazi euthanasia program from 1939 onwards and was selected as Adolf Hitler's personal...
to confer with Catel and decide on a course of action. On July 25, 1939 the child was killed.
The T4 program was influenced by a popular book written in 1920 by Alfred Hoche
Alfred Hoche
Alfred Erich Hoche was a German psychiatrist well-known for his writings about eugenics and euthanasia.-Life:Hoche studied in Berlin and Heidelberg and became a psychiatrist in 1890. He moved to Strasbourg in 1891. From 1902 he was a professor at Freiburg im Breisgau and was a director of the...
and Karl Binding
Karl Binding
Karl Ludwig Lorenz Binding was a German jurist known as a promoter of the theory of retributive justice. His influential book, Die Freigabe der Vernichtung Lebensunwertem Lebens , written together with the psychiatrist Alfred Hoche, was used by the Nazis to justify their T-4 Euthanasia Program.-...
. Catel as part of this program was surely influenced by it, too. In his 1962 publication, "Grenzsituation des Lebens" (Border situations of life), Catel argued for the reintroduction of euthanasia. As had Binding and Hoche, Catel identified three possible types of euthanasia.
- Reine Euthanasie:
"Real" euthanasia was seen as the killing of a person who was suffering from so much pain, that an ever increasing amount of pain reducing drugs had to be administered. This consequently lead to the person's death.
- Euthanasie im engeren Sinne:
The killing of a patient whose illness "according to medical experience" is so bad "that there is no hope of recovery", but whose death is also not to be expected in the near future. (See terminal sedation
Terminal sedation
In medicine, specifically in end-of-life care, palliative sedation is the palliative practice of relieving distress in a terminally ill person in the last hours or days of a dying patient's life, usually by means of a continuous...
)
- Euthanasie im weiteren Sinne:
The "extermination of the life of an "idiot child" or an adult in a similar condition. Catel defined "idiot children" as being "such monsters ... which are nothing but a massa carnis"(Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
), have no personality or spiritual soul (Guardini), are unable to make decisions (Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
) or are unable to communicate with their surroundings.(Alfred Hoche)
After the war Catel took charge of the Mammolshöhe Children's Mental Home near Kronberg, where he continued to rally for the euthanasia of children deemed beyond hope. In 1949 he was found to have committed no grave crimes by a denazification
Denazification
Denazification was an Allied initiative to rid German and Austrian society, culture, press, economy, judiciary, and politics of any remnants of the National Socialist ideology. It was carried out specifically by removing those involved from positions of influence and by disbanding or rendering...
board in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, and became attached to the University of Kiel
University of Kiel
The University of Kiel is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the Academia Holsatorum Chiloniensis by Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and has approximately 23,000 students today...
in 1954. There was talk after his death in 1981, of establishing a Werner Catel Foundation with $200,000 of unclaimed money left after his death, but the idea was finally dismissed in 1984.
Trivia
- Catel was the first physician to describe what is now known as Lesch-Nyhan syndromeLesch-Nyhan syndromeLesch–Nyhan syndrome , also known as Nyhan's syndrome, Kelley-Seegmiller syndrome and Juvenile gout, is a rare inherited disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase , produced by mutations in the HPRT gene located on X chromosome. LNS affects about...
- His obituary controversially stated that he acted "in many ways, to the welfare and well-being of sick children."