Picture from (27) and used in the Sachsenhausen Museum as a wall display
Collar rank shown as SS Obersturmfuhrer, so taken later than Jan 30th, ’43, and after he has left Sachsenhausen
This author stumbled upon SS Dr Viktor Lewe during his research through an image on the wall of the pathology lab in Sachsenhausen museum and have included as part of the evidence package because he is Dr. Ing Dr Lewe’s nephew. The link between the Lewe family and the National Socialists is circumstantial but in SS Dr Lewe, there is an unequivocal connection.
His father has been corroborated through records as Joseph Gerhard Christian Lewe, the eldest brother of Dr. Ing Dr Viktor Lewe.
Birth and Death
B19.4.1912 Birth of Clemens Alexander Viktor Lewe, Loningen
Death of Father March 12, 1935 in Löningen (aged 60), Young Viktor would have been 23, and attending University in Tubingen
Died On November 26, 1965 in Haselunne.
Testimony
Dr Lewe (with rank of SS Untersturmfuhrer, was in Sachsenhausen as head of the
pathology lab. From (28) Statement by Harry Naujoks (a German communist), former camp senior:
“In 1941 Dr. Lewe came to Sachsenhausen from the Buchenwald camp to take charge
of the pathology department. Being camp senior, I was told that blocke seniors had
to report inmates with unusual tattoos. This report was passed onto the roll call
leader. Eventually, each of the tattooed inmates was ordered to come to the sickbay.
Soon after we’d receive a death notice. Several times I went to the pathology
department while Dr. Lewe wasn’t there and in his room saw pieces of skin and body
parts with these tattoos, which were kept in jars of alcohol lining the walls. In the
drawers too, prepared sections of skin were kept. I have held such sections of skin
with my own hand.“
Story
In his essay (27) Pukrop mentions Dr Lewe as being a similar case to his predecessor as pathologist at Sachsenhausen, a Dr Shmitz in that, like most of the SS medics deployed in KL Sachsenhausen, he came from a family with no medical tradition. The existence of a law dissertation by a Viktor Lewe (26) demonstrates that he may have switched disciplines sometime after 1934.
1932 – 1938 medical studies in Tubingen (same University as uncle Dr. Ing Dr Lewe’s Physics doctorate), Munster, Gottingen, Bonn and Greifswald, state examination on August 20, 1938, approval on August 1. November 1939, doctorate in spring/summer 1939. Then drafted into the Waffen-SS as an unpaid volunteer assistant Municipal hospitals in Solingen. Enlisted in the Waffen-SS on April 12, 1940 (No. 382 546), highest Rank SS-Obersturmfuhrer der Res. (since January 30, 1943)
Joined the NSDAP on May 1, 1933 (No. 3 174 312) between April 12th and April 31st July 1940 for weapons training with the 10th SS-Totenkopfstandarte “Thuringia” until April 16, 1941 then an SS pathologist in the Buchenwald camp , and as head of patholgy from April 16, 1941 to April 4, 1942 in KL Sachsenhausen. He contracted tuberculosis and was possibly on sick leave until March 17, 1943. He transferred to the SS medical replacement battalion in the pulmonary hospital Gorberdorf and in the SS hospital department Molln whilst under treatment. Due to his illness he was not suitable for front use so from July 1, 1943 to March 20, 1944 he trained as a specialist in skin and venereal diseases (noting his interest in tattoos). He was transferred to the SS hospital in Prague, then from March 20th to November 23rd, 1944 was Troop doctor at the SS probation department in Chulm, then until the end of the war troop was a doctor at the SS artillery training and replacement regiment in Beneschau. An SS investigation into false statements of religious confession at his wedding in November 1942 were discontinued. There were reportedly investigations into his service as an SS camp doctor in the Sachsenhausen camp. Registration at Loningen on September 18, 1950, based in Haselrunne and worked there as a general practitioner until his death in 1965.
Denomination: Roman Catholic
Married (Loningen Records show he was married twice. His first marriage was on
September 17, 1941 in Weimar and his second marriage was on January 10, 1945 in Prague.)
No children from first marriage, unknown regarding second.
The banality of evil
The Public Records Office in Loningen made me aware of a document on file regarding SS Dr Viktor
Lewe, and were kind enough to forward me a pdf. There are two letters, both in German, and the
translations are as below.
The first is from Dr Baust, the Oldenburg District Public Prosecutor who it appears has been passed
the task of prosecuting Dr Lewe, but who is attempting to return the responsibility back up the line.
His argument is that because Lewe was following orders from the Anenherbe Institute, as a National
Crime, it is for Central Office to manage. He is under the impression that Lewe may not have killed
anyone, merely skeletonised corpses as instructed. He does reference files but does not say what
specific evidence he saw within to form this opinion.
In 1964, to be asked to carry out an investigation at local level where the crime was at national level
does seem like an impossible task. Baust makes his case and awaits response…
Two weeks later Bautz gets a reply, stating that The Chief Public Prosecutor, Mr Schule, declines to
take the case and refers Bautz to The Frankfurt Office.
The exchange seem to be promoted by the investigation of Bruno Beger, who was exonerated in
1948, then investigated again in 1960 before finally coming to trial in 1970. He was acquitted, along
with two other defendants, and died in 2009.
The exchange highlights both the difficulty of prosecuting low-ranking individuals for acts carried out in war time, and demonstrates how bureaucracy deals with crimes of base inhumanity as administrative burdens. Lewe was head of pathology for a whole year, and held the power of life and death at his own whim over all the inmates, but the prosecutor states that this was ‘only a year’.
It seems that Lewe was never prosecuted for any crime associated with his SS career. The ‘skeleton
collection’ is a hideous footnote of the national socialist regime, but it seems to have been seen as
the only crime committed. Dr Lewe’s individual choices are never questioned. The testimony of the
former inmate, included above, with regard to Dr Lewe’s tattoo collection has clearly never been
considered.
Lewe died the following year, on 26th November 1965.
The letters
Public prosecutor
The Regional Court OLG in Oldenburg
Dr. med Viktor Lewe
Killing of prisoners Kt Hafflinge; hier Weifletung
(File numbers updated)
Berl. 140-4 Nr 505
1 AR 943/64-3 (64 is year)
To the headquarters of Land…
Berl.140-4 Nr.505
1 AR 943/64-3
Filed 1965
To be kept until 1970
From the Attorney general in Oldenburg, The first Chief Public Prosecutor
14th October 1964 -17 AR 309/64
To the Central Office of the State Judicial Administration In Ludwigsburg. Schrndorfer Strasse 28
Stamped 16th Oct 1964 1 Volume 1 Chapter
Concerning; The killing of concentration camp inmates on behalf of the ‘Ahnenerbe’ Institute
at the University of Strasbourg; Director of Anatomy SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Professor Dr. Hirt.
Specifically: Dr.med Viktor Lewe from Haselunne
Relating to: Section III of the administrative agreement of the state judicial administrations of November 6th, 1958
Reference; 1 volume of files 17 AR 309/64
1 Booklet Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
The matter in question was sent to me by the Head of the Central Office in the state of North
Rhine-Westphalia for the processing of National Socialist mass crimes in concentration camps to
take the case over from the senior public prosecutor in Cologne.
The General Practioner Dr.med Viktor Lewe, from Hasselunne, was head of Pathology at
Sachsenhausen concentration camp in 1941/42. He is suspected to have killed and skeletonised
prisoners and Russian prisoners of war. Although the accused lives in the local district, I have
reservations about taking over the proceedings, at least at this point in time. According to the clerk at the Cologne public prosecutor’s office, the murders were clearly carried out at the
instigation of the ‘Ahnenerbe’ institute at the University of Strasbourg, Professor Dr. Hirt – cf. BL.35
R, 36 d.A.-. However the killings carried out on behalf of this institute should in no way relate to
the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, or the people here.
The period under consideration was limited to just under a year (see also Kempner, ‘Eichmann and
accomplices’ on pages 250 to 254). Rather, there is a suspicion that such acts were carried out on
a large scale under central direction. In the overall process of these acts, and their responsible
perpetrators, Dr Lewe probably only played a minor role and can be seen as a relatively
insignificant peripheral figure. He was only head of pathology in Sachsenhausen concentration
camp from April 17th, 1941 to April 4th 1942, and at that time held the rank of SS-untersturmfuhrer.
It is still questionable whether he was in any way involved in the killing of prisoners or just
skeletonised the corpses.
However the successful conduct of proceedings regarding the killings carried out in connection
with ‘Ahnenerbe’ can only be guaranteed if preliminary investigations are first carried out from
there into the entire crime complex. I would therefore ask you to check whether the current
process could be transferred there for this purpose. Since the ‘Ahnenerbe’ institution was affiliated
with the University of Strasbourg and at least some of the main perpetrators were located there, it
means that the majority of the killings were probably carried out in concentration camps located
outside the federal territory, in this case the responsibility of the Central Office is probably
justified.
According to the previous practice (any prosecutions arising) would later have to be taken over by
the public prosecutor’s office in whose district the main perpetrator, or perpetrators, reside.
I have expressly reserved the final decision to take over the proceedings with the Cologne public
prosecutor’s office.
Dr. Bautz
2nd November 1964
Mr Attorney General
The higher regional court
39 Oldenburg/Oldbg
From the
Chief Public Prosecutor
At the regional court
45 Osnabruck
Kollegienwall 7 – 10
Concerning; The killing of concentration camp inmates on behalf of the ‘Ahnenerbe’ Institute at the University of Strasbourg;. Director of Anatomy SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Professor Dr. Hirt and Dr.med Viktor Lewe in Haselunne
Relating to: Letter dated October 14th 1964 17 AR309/64 and marginal letter from the attorney general at the Oldenburg Higher Regional Court dated October 19th 1964 1 AR 943/64-3
Attachment;1 volume of Investigation 17 AR 309/64
Unfortunately the procedure for conducting preliminary investigations cannot be taken over. The
fact that the criminal prosecution statute of limitations has expired means that the Central Office
has to limit its investigative activities to completing the preliminary investigations initiated here
and handing over proceedings to the responsible public prosecutors offices. In all other cases
information can only be provided about the findings that are already available.
Regarding the accusations against Dr Lewe it is important (to note) that the head of the
Anhenerbe Institute at the University of Strasbourg, Professor August Hirt, born April 29th 1898 in
Mannheim, died on June 2nd 1945 in Schonebach Neusdtadt/Schw district (MR, from Wiki – Hirt
committed suicide aged 47, at Schluchsee, Baden-Württemberg, in the Black Forest. His suicide
was not known when he was tried in absentia at the Military War Crimes Trial at Metz on 23
December 1953 for his war crimes. His death was finally confirmed in the mid-1960s when the
Israeli secret service had his body exhumed, and an Israeli pathologist conclusively identified the
bones). For this reason the investigation 17Js 145/62 initiated against Professor Hirt has been
closed by the Stuttgart Public Prosecutors Office.
As for Professor Hirt’s skeleton collection the SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Josef Kramer, executed (he was
hanged) in Hamelin on Dec 13, 1945 are the subject of the proceedings of the Frankfurt/Main
public prosecutor’s office – 4 Js 1013/61 (64) – against Dr Bruno Beger, born April 27th, 1911, lives
in Frankfurt, Burnitzstrasse 23. These defendants are accused of having selected 115 people in KL
Auschwitz for the aforementioned skeleton collection. The accusation is based on a letter from SS
Standartenfuhrer Sievers to the RHSA, Ref IV B 4 z.Hd. von Eichmann, in which the execution (?) of
Dr. Beger is reported (doc NO-687).
The other documents that provide insight into the crime – see Mitscherlich and Mielke, Medicine
without Humanity, Pischer-Bicherei, Mr 352, pp. 174 to 182, are available in this case.
On the appropriateness of combining the proceedings against Dr Lewe with the case against Dr
Beger, I am unable to comment because I do not know the details of the latter case, which is
already in the preliminary investigation stage. At the very least an exchange of the findings from
both procedures should be useful. However I would like to suggest that you contact the public
prosecutor’s office in Frankfurt/Main directly.
Signed
Schule
References
(26) Lewe, V, Die frage des formzwanges fur die vollmacht zur vornahme formbedurftiger rechesgeschafte. Dissertation, Tubingen 1934, VI
(27) Pukrop, M (1974), SS-Mediziner zwischen Lagerdienst und Fronteinsatz. Die personelle Besetzung der Medizinischen Abteilung im Konzentrationslager Sachsenhausen 1936 – 1945
Von der Philosophischen Fakultät der Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität Hannover zur Erlangung des Grades eines Doktors der Philosophie (Dr. phil.) genehmigte Dissertation von Marco Pukrop, M.A. geboren am 18. Dezember 1974 in Osterholz-Scharmbeck, 2015
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