Citation

Bitterich LA, Rinnen C, Gross D. Br. Dent. J. 2021; 231(10): 647-653.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, British Dental Association)

DOI

10.1038/s41415-021-3667-7

PMID

34824434

Abstract

This study is the first to identify and investigate German dentists tried for war crimes by British courts after 1945. Drawing on wide-ranging archival court documents and sources from various international archives, we found and studied 11 dentists from the Third Reich who were put on trial, the majority of whom were accused of manslaughter, homicide or being accessories to murder. Of the accused, two were sentenced to death while the rest (n = 9) were forced to serve prison sentences. After their release, all nine of these dentists were able to resume and advance their professional careers in Germany, most as owners of a private dental practice (n = 8) and one as a clinic director. Many settled in small towns, where they became esteemed members of their local communities.

Language: en