According to a study, Austrian physician Hans Asperger was involved in crimes of National Socialism. He is said to have transferred disabled children to a killing facility. This is result of historian Herwig Czech from Medical University of Vienna after evaluation of previously unknown archival material. The result was published on Thursday in journal Molecular Autism (Czech, 2018).
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Hans Asperger had worked as a pediatrician in Vienna since 1930s, even after 1938 Austria was connected to Nazi Germany. According to him, a certain form of autism, Asperger’s syndrome, is named (see box). He died in year 1980.
So far, historians have assumed that Aspergers were in opposition to Nazi rulers. But this is perhaps a legend that could have been primarily of Asperger’s own. At least historian Czech comes to this conclusion. “It is about fact that someone who has been celebrated almost as a resistance fighter in recent years does not withstand an examination on basis of sources,” said Czech.
Did Aspergers stage as a Nazi opponent?
In his study, scientist came to conclusion that physician Asperger was rar involved in Nazi program for systematic murder of disabled and sick people. The Nazis spoke euphemistically of “euthanasia”, mercy killing.
Diagnosis Asperger Infobox Diagnosis Asperger
Asperger’s syndrome is a mild form of autism. The cause is a brain disorderthat causes deficits in emotional and social skills. Some sufferers are highly intelligent or have island talents such as exceptional memory or computational skill.
Name Giver Hans Asperger
Hans Asperger, born 1906 in Vienna, was a pediatrician and curative educator from Austria. He is considered to be first to describe light form of Autimus, which later – in 1980s – was furr explored by British psychologist Lorna Wing and named after Aspergers. The syndrome was not known until 1990s. It is now known that it is not uncommon for adults to be diagnosed as children. For a long time, Asperger was considered an opponent of Nazi Germany, until 2018 historians found in hirto unevaluated files evidence of a participation in Nazi crimes.
Czech comes to conclusion that Asperger has transferred two seriously handicapped children directly to Vienna killing facility on mirror ground. About 800 girls and boys were murdered in this clinic. In addition, pediatrician sat in a commission that selected wher children were brought to special schools or to “mirror ground”.
According to Czechs, Aspergers did not play a major role in actual euthanasia program of Nazis. But he was an opportunist. “It is a collective and shared responsibility, as so often in Nazi crimes.”
