The Weight of the Word is an extended visual essay combining archival images and texts to explore the biographies and work of nine NS era doctors. It examines their scientific research and the subsequent damnatio memoriae following the condemnation of their actions, and offers a holistic view that intertwines their achievements, crimes, and the complex legacies they left behind. Get the book here
Chapter one of eight: Hans Reiter, Reiter’s ArthritisExplore
Celebrated for his scientific brilliance, Reiter built a prominent academic career—but behind his achievements lies a darker legacy.
Chapter two of eight: Max Clara, Clara Cells Explore
His lectures publicly praised Hitler, and he positioned himself politically within the academic community by denouncing colleagues who worked with Jewish scientists.
Chapter three of eight: Hans Eppinger, Cauchois-Eppinger-Frugoni Syndrome Explore
Hans Eppinger was a prominent Austrian physician and hepatologist. His legacy, long entangled with both scientific achievement and criminal conduct, was gradually dismantled.
Chapter four of eight: Jussuf Ibrahim, Beck-Ibrahim Disease Explore
Murad Jussuf Bey Ibrahim built a distinguished medical and academic career. His involvement in the NS medical politics grew more controversial during the regime’s covert child euthanasia program.
Chapter five of eight: Walter Stoeckel, Schauta-Stoeckel ProcedureExplore
Stoeckel aligned himself closely with the Nazi regime, supporting the purging of Jewish professionals from medical institutions and presiding over the German Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics.
Chapter six of eight: Friedrich Wegener, Wegener’s Granulomatosis Explore
During World War II, Wegener served as a medical officer in Nazi-occupied Poland, stationed in Lodz, where he worked in the public health office and conducted numerous autopsies at the local Prosektorium.
Chapter seven of eight: Julius Hallervorden and Hugo Spatz, Hallervorden-Spatz Syndrome Explore
In the late 20th century, professional societies and institutions began distancing themselves from their legacy, with awards renamed and research initiated to uncover the full extent of their complicity.
Chapter eight of eight: Eduard Pernkopf, Pernkopf’s Atla Explore
The atlas gained global acclaim for its exceptional detail and artistic quality. However, the work’s scientific achievement is deeply entangled with Nazi ideology.
