Biomaterial Database

[Werner Catel--a protagonist in Nazi "pediatric euthanasia" and his post-war career]. 2003

Hans-Christian Petersen, and Sönke Zankel

Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz Fachbereich 16 Historisches Seminar, Abteilung für Osteuropäische Geschichte Jacob-Walder-Weg 18 55128 Mainz.

This article deals with the biography of Werner Catel, a German paediatrician and protagonist of the Nazi programme for "euthanasia of children". Based on original research into recently discovered source materials, two aspects of Catel's life are considered. Firstly, Catel's attitude towards "euthanasia" is analysed. This analysis is not limited to the period of National Socialism, but focuses also on the phase before 1933 and especially on the era after 1945. Secondly, the authors explore Catel's academic career. What effects on his career in the later Federal Republic of Germany had his exposed role in the Nazi programme for "euthanasia of children"? In this context it is also examined how the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel/Germany, which employed Catel until 1960 in a leading position, judged the work of its former professor after his death.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010372	Pediatrics	A medical specialty concerned with maintaining health and providing medical care to children from birth to adolescence.
D002322	Career Mobility	The upward or downward mobility in an occupation or the change from one occupation to another.	Career Ladders,Clinical Ladders,Job Ladders,Clinical Ladder,Ladder, Clinical,Ladders, Clinical,Career Ladder,Career Mobilities,Job Ladder,Ladder, Career,Ladder, Job,Ladders, Career,Ladders, Job,Mobilities, Career,Mobility, Career
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D005065	Euthanasia	The act or practice of killing or allowing death from natural causes, for reasons of mercy, i.e., in order to release a person from incurable disease, intolerable suffering, or undignified death. (from Beauchamp and Walters, Contemporary Issues in Bioethics, 5th ed)	Mercy Killing,Killing, Mercy,Killings, Mercy,Mercy Killings
D005858	Germany	A country in central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark. The capital is Berlin.
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001291	Attitude of Health Personnel	Attitudes of personnel toward their patients, other professionals, toward the medical care system, etc.	Staff Attitude,Attitude, Staff,Attitudes, Staff,Health Personnel Attitude,Health Personnel Attitudes,Staff Attitudes
D049673	History, 20th Century	Time period from 1901 through 2000 of the common era.	20th Century History,20th Cent. History (Medicine),20th Cent. History of Medicine,20th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 20th Century,History of Medicine, 20th Cent.,History, Twentieth Century,Medical History, 20th Cent.,Medicine, 20th Cent.,20th Cent. Histories (Medicine),20th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 20th (Medicine),Cent. History, 20th (Medicine),Century Histories, 20th,Century Histories, Twentieth,Century History, 20th,Century History, Twentieth,Histories, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 20th Century,Histories, Twentieth Century,History, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Twentieth Century Histories,Twentieth Century History
D019988	Disabled Children	Children with mental or physical disabilities that interfere with usual activities of daily living and that may require accommodation or intervention.	Child, Disabled,Children with Disabilities,Children, Disabled,Handicapped Children,Children with Disability,Children, Handicapped,Disability, Children with,Disabled Child
D028683	National Socialism	The doctrines and policies of the Nazis or the National Social German Workers party, which ruled Germany under Adolf Hitler from 1933-1945. These doctrines and policies included racist nationalism, expansionism, and state control of the economy. (from Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. and American Heritage College Dictionary, 3d ed.)	Nazis,Nazism,Nazi,Socialism, National