Doctor Josef Mengele

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Doctor Josef Mengele One of the most demented doctors of the Nazi era went by the name of Josef Mengele. This was because of the gruesome experiments he conducted on woman, men, and children. Mengele wasn't always part of the Nazi culture. In fact, a lot of people don't seem to know how he ended up living the life that he did. Mengele started his career saving lives and helping people, not destroying them. So what caused him to change his ways so drastically? How could someone find it so easy to cause somebody else so much pain and agony? Josef Mengele wasn't always a bad guy. During his childhood Mengele grew up in a Catholic family with both parents and two brothers, he being the oldest of the three. Shortly after his birth in 1911 his father became sole owner of a foundry that made farm equipment in Germany. His family became wealthy as the business prospered and they became the most powerful family in their town. While young Mengele was growing up, his parents were frequently absent due to the family business. But he expressed his desire to stand out from other members of his family and become successful in his own way, not involving the family business. Josef was a very excellent student. His favorite subject was anthropology, the study of the origin, development, and behavior of humankind. He abandoned the Catholic Church when he was a teenager and became a member of a patriotic young people's group ( “Josef Mengele.” Student Resources in Context ). In 1930, young, teenage Mengele completed high school and left his home to study medicine at Munich University in Germany. Adolf Hitler was stirring up the Bavarian people at this time with his “anti-Jewish” ideas. He attracted large crowds, who gather... ... middle of paper ... ...d studied to help sick and hurt people, he still managed to change his thoughts and ways to the complete opposite. Without even feeling guilty for what he did. His life is a good example to show that not everybody is who they say they are. Or simply people can change very easily. Works Cited "Josef Mengele." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Student Resources in Context. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. "Josef Mengele." UXL Biographies. Detroit: U*X*L, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. McKale, Donald M. "Mengele, Josef." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. http://www.worldbookonline.com/advanced/article?id=ar355290&st=josef+mengele Rees, Laurence. Auschwitz. New York: Public Affairs, 2005. Print. Roleff, Tamara. The Holocaust: Death Camps . San Diego, California: Greenhaven Press Inc., 2002. Print.

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