Piero Martinello
Piero Martinello

THE WEIGHT OF THE WORD, chapter one of eight: Hans Reiter, Reiter’s Arthritis

In 1916, German physician Hans Reiter described a condition later named “Reiter’s Arthritis”, now known as reactive arthritis. Celebrated for his scientific brilliance, Reiter built a prominent academic career—but behind his achievements lies a darker legacy.

A fervent supporter of Nazi ideology, Reiter helped shape and apply the biopolitical vision of National Socialism. As head of the Reich Health Office, he promoted eugenics, authorized forced sterilizations, and justified medicine as a tool for “racial hygiene.” Under his leadership, over 400,000 people were sterilized and thousands euthanized in the name of genetic “purity.”

Piero Martinello –
Piero Martinello –

He later oversaw human experiments in Buchenwald, where hundreds of prisoners were injected with a typhus vaccine, most of whom died. Despite his direct involvement in Nazi crimes, Reiter was never tried at Nuremberg and went on to resume a respectable postwar career. He published extensively, attended international congresses, and was even honored by scientific institutions.

Piero Martinello –
Piero Martinello –

Only decades later did the medical community begin questioning the use of his name. Today, “Reiter’s Arthritis” is gradually being replaced with reactive arthritis—a reminder that science must be grounded in ethics, and that names carry histories.

Piero Martinello –
Piero Martinello –
Piero Martinello –
Piero Martinello –