Join award-winning journalist Betina Anton, known for her book "Hiding Mengele: How a Nazi Network Harbored the Angel of Death," as she dives into the haunting life of Josef Mengele after WWII. Discover how he evaded justice in Argentina, hidden by a network of Nazi supporters, including Anton's former teacher. The discussion reveals Mengele's chilling experiments during the Holocaust, the complexities of his life in South America, and the lingering effects of racism and xenophobia in today's society.
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Mengele's Death
Josef Mengele, the infamous Nazi doctor, drowned off the coast of Brazil in 1979.
He had been living a seemingly normal life in South America under an assumed identity.
insights INSIGHT
Mengele's Upbringing
Mengele's upbringing did not suggest he would become a monster.
He was a regular guy influenced by the racist ideology of the Third Reich.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Mengele's Family
Mengele came from a wealthy family; his father was an industrialist who even hosted Hitler.
Mengele chose to pursue medicine and research, deviating from his father's path.
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This book delves into the life of Josef Mengele, known as the 'Angel of Death' for his cruel human experiments and role in sending thousands to the Auschwitz gas chambers. Betina Anton, a Brazilian journalist, investigates how Mengele evaded justice for 34 years, hiding in Brazil and other parts of South America with the help of a network of expatriate Europeans. The book is based on extensive research, including interviews, police records, and Mengele's personal letters, revealing the motivations and actions of those who protected him and the comfortable life he led despite his horrific past[1][3][4].
The Nazi doctor who committed heinous experiments on prisoners of Auschwitz was harboured by a network of Nazi supporters in Argentina after the war. As an SS officer and physician, he conducted horrific tests on prisoners, particularly twins, in pursuit of pseudoscientific racial theories. His name has become synonymous with Nazi war crimes.
After World War II, Mengele evaded justice, escaping to South America. He lived in Argentina for years under an assumed identity, avoiding capture despite international efforts to bring him to trial. In this episode, Dan is joined by the award-winning journalist Betina Anton who tracked down the woman who helped him hide. The woman was Betina's old school teacher.
Warning: This episode contains descriptions of human suffering that listeners may find upsetting. This episode also contains mention of outdated terminology for historical context.
Betina's book is called 'Hiding Mengele: How a Nazi Network Harbored the Angel of Death'
Produced by James Hickmann and Mariana Des Forges, edited by Dougal Patmore
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