Friedrich Wegener
| Born | 1907 |
| Died | 1990 |
Related eponyms
Biography of Friedrich Wegener
Friedrich Wegener worked in Berlin, Breslau and Lübeck. He worked in Breslau when he first described the condition that carries his name.
After World War II Friedrich Wegener was suspected of being a war criminal. He was interned by the Allies but was later cleared of the charges and "denazified". However, later researches have revealed that Wegener was a dedicated Nazi. As early as in 1932, eight months before Hitler came to power, he joined the S.A (Sturmabteilung) and became a member of the Nazi party on May 1, 1933. According to documents found by Alexander Woywodt in the Bundesarchiv, Wegener in 1938 became SA Sanitäts-Obersturmbannführer.
After the outbreak of the war, Wegener worked as a military pathologist in Lodz, where he also held a position in the Gesundheitsamt. The first closed Jewish ghetto of the Third Reich had been established in Lodz. Less than 1.000 of the 250.000 prisoners held there survived the genocide, which was carried out in the death camp of Chelmo near by. Further researches by Wouwodt and collaborators indicated that Wegener, in his capacity as pathologist, may have been involved in these events. However, no proofs have been found.
We thank Alexander Woywodt MRCP for information submitted.
Bibliography
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In the series: Mannen bakom syndromet (The man behind the syndrome). - U. Mercado:
Wegener’s granulomatosis: the man behind the eponym.
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Wegener's granulomatosis.
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