Erich Christian Wilhelm Martini (19 March 1880 – 5 December 1960) was a German physician, zoologist and malariologist. A staunch supporter of the Nazi Party, he studied typhus and malaria vectors. He served as a director of the entomology department of the Ship and Tropical Diseases Institute in Hamburg. It has been claimed that he may have been involved in biological warfare experiments to spread malaria on the Pontine marshes of Italy.
Erich Martini
Life and workedit
Martini was born in Rostock, son of Carl (1845-1907) who was a regional court president and Agnes (Caroline Christina) née Kessler (1855-1881). Educated at Rostock and Schwerin, he went to study medicine at the universities at Rostock, Tübingen and Munich, graduating in 1905. He then received a doctorate from Rostock under Oswald Seeliger (1889-1907) on nematode development. He habilitated in 1908 at the University of Rostock. In 1912 he joined the institute for tropical medicine in Hamburg. In 1913-14 he visited the United States. During World War I he served as a physician on the eastern front, dealing with typhus and malaria. He examined the difference in typhus mortality among Christians and Jews.[1] He later suggested that Jews were the primary victims and the spreaders of the disease.[2] In 1919 he became director of the department of entomology at the Hamburg institute.[3]
Martini joined the NSDAP in September 1933 and also became a member of the National Socialist lecturers' association. In 1940 he became a staff physician and teacher at the Military Medical Academy in Berlin. When Heinrich Himmler set up an entomological institute under the Ahnenerbe, Martini and Peter Mühlens were proposed as a director by Wolfram Sievers. Himmler had reservations against those trained as physicians and sought a zoologist, finally appointing Eduard May (1905–1956) but Martini was made a member of the advisory board.[4] In 1938 he presided over the seventh International Entomological Congress held in Berlin.[5]
In 1943, following the fall of Mussolini, Germany was treated as an enemy. Himmler is thought to have sought Martini's assistance in unleashing a malaria epidemic in the Pontine Marshes. The reclamation of the area and the reduction of malaria had been considered an accomplishment under Italian fascism. The Germany army stopped pumps that moved water from the hills into the sea, causing the area to revert to brackish marshland where Anopheles labranchiae could breed again. This led to a massive increase in malaria.[6][7] Whether this malaria outbreak was intentional as claimed by Yale researcher Frank M. Snowden has been questioned.[8]
After World War II, Martini sought relief under denazification and wrote to a former Jewish assistant Otto Hecht hoping for a favorable review.[9]
Martini married a colleague Erna Hansen and they had two children. On 2 December 1960, Martini was hit by a tram in a street accident and died three days later. He was buried in Ohlsdorf Cemetery, Hamburg. A mosquito species Anopheles martinius from Uzbekistan was named after Martini by Shingarev in 1926.[10]
Referencesedit
^Martini, Erich (1918). "Fleckfiebersterblichkeit einer christlichen und jüdischen Bevölkerung". Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift (in German). 44 (47): 1300–1301. doi:10.1055/s-0028-1134806. ISSN 0012-0472.
^Rybak, Jan (2022). "Racialization of Disease: The Typhus-Epidemic, Antisemitism and Closed Borders in German-Occupied Poland, 1915–1918". European History Quarterly. 52 (3): 461–484. doi:10.1177/02656914221103467. ISSN 0265-6914.
^Weyer, Fritz (1990). "Martini, Erich". Neue Deutsche Biographie. Vol. 16. Berlin: Duncker & Humblot. pp. 297–298.
^Reinhardt, Klaus (2013). "The Entomological Institute of the Waffen-SS: evidence for offensive biological warfare research in the third Reich". Endeavour. 37 (4): 220–227. doi:10.1016/j.endeavour.2013.05.001. PMID 23787226.
^Sachtleben, Hans (1961). "Entomologische Chronik (Prof. Dr. phil. et med Erich Martini, Prof. Dr. Hans Bischoff, Prof. Dr. Hermann Schmitz, Oberregierungsrat i. R. Dr. Hugo Thiem, Prof. Dr. Wladimir Weniaminowitzsch Popow, Dr. H. F. Barnes, Arthur Burton Gahan, Prof. Carlos A. Lizer y Trelles, Prof. Dr. Karel Absolon)". Beiträge zur Entomologie (in German). 11 (3–4): 476–480. doi:10.21248/contrib.entomol.11.3-4.476-480. ISSN 2511-6428.
^Snowden, Frank M. (2012). "Mosquito Wars: Malaria and Bioterrorism in Italy, 1943-1945" (PDF). History of Dermatology Society Newsletter. 10 (6): 388–389. PMID 23346668.
^Geissler, Erhard; Guillemin, Jeanne (2010). "German flooding of the Pontine Marshes in World War II: Biological warfare or total war tactic?". Politics and the Life Sciences. 29 (1): 2–23. doi:10.2990/29_1_2. ISSN 0730-9384. JSTOR 40984008.
^Geissler, Erhard; Guillemin, Jeanne (2010). "German flooding of the Pontine Marshes in World War II: Biological warfare or total war tactic?". Politics and the Life Sciences. 29 (1): 2–23. doi:10.2990/29_1_2. ISSN 0730-9384. JSTOR 40984008.
^Hering, Rainer (2000). "Nazi Persecution and the Pursuit of Science: Correspondence between Erich Martini and Otto Hecht, 1946–47". Jewish Culture and History. 3 (1): 95–124. doi:10.1080/1462169X.2000.10511944. ISSN 1462-169X.
^Shingarev, N.I. (1926). "[New information on Culicidae of the USSR]". Russki Zhurnal Tropicheskoi Meditsiny (in Russian). 2: 47–48.
January 01, 1970
erich, martini, erich, christian, wilhelm, martini, march, 1880, december, 1960, german, physician, zoologist, malariologist, staunch, supporter, nazi, party, studied, typhus, malaria, vectors, served, director, entomology, department, ship, tropical, diseases. Erich Christian Wilhelm Martini 19 March 1880 5 December 1960 was a German physician zoologist and malariologist A staunch supporter of the Nazi Party he studied typhus and malaria vectors He served as a director of the entomology department of the Ship and Tropical Diseases Institute in Hamburg It has been claimed that he may have been involved in biological warfare experiments to spread malaria on the Pontine marshes of Italy Erich MartiniLife and work editMartini was born in Rostock son of Carl 1845 1907 who was a regional court president and Agnes Caroline Christina nee Kessler 1855 1881 Educated at Rostock and Schwerin he went to study medicine at the universities at Rostock Tubingen and Munich graduating in 1905 He then received a doctorate from Rostock under Oswald Seeliger 1889 1907 on nematode development He habilitated in 1908 at the University of Rostock In 1912 he joined the institute for tropical medicine in Hamburg In 1913 14 he visited the United States During World War I he served as a physician on the eastern front dealing with typhus and malaria He examined the difference in typhus mortality among Christians and Jews 1 He later suggested that Jews were the primary victims and the spreaders of the disease 2 In 1919 he became director of the department of entomology at the Hamburg institute 3 Martini joined the NSDAP in September 1933 and also became a member of the National Socialist lecturers association In 1940 he became a staff physician and teacher at the Military Medical Academy in Berlin When Heinrich Himmler set up an entomological institute under the Ahnenerbe Martini and Peter Muhlens were proposed as a director by Wolfram Sievers Himmler had reservations against those trained as physicians and sought a zoologist finally appointing Eduard May 1905 1956 but Martini was made a member of the advisory board 4 In 1938 he presided over the seventh International Entomological Congress held in Berlin 5 In 1943 following the fall of Mussolini Germany was treated as an enemy Himmler is thought to have sought Martini s assistance in unleashing a malaria epidemic in the Pontine Marshes The reclamation of the area and the reduction of malaria had been considered an accomplishment under Italian fascism The Germany army stopped pumps that moved water from the hills into the sea causing the area to revert to brackish marshland where Anopheles labranchiae could breed again This led to a massive increase in malaria 6 7 Whether this malaria outbreak was intentional as claimed by Yale researcher Frank M Snowden has been questioned 8 After World War II Martini sought relief under denazification and wrote to a former Jewish assistant Otto Hecht hoping for a favorable review 9 Martini married a colleague Erna Hansen and they had two children On 2 December 1960 Martini was hit by a tram in a street accident and died three days later He was buried in Ohlsdorf Cemetery Hamburg A mosquito species Anopheles martinius from Uzbekistan was named after Martini by Shingarev in 1926 10 References edit Martini Erich 1918 Fleckfiebersterblichkeit einer christlichen und judischen Bevolkerung Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift in German 44 47 1300 1301 doi 10 1055 s 0028 1134806 ISSN 0012 0472 Rybak Jan 2022 Racialization of Disease The Typhus Epidemic Antisemitism and Closed Borders in German Occupied Poland 1915 1918 European History Quarterly 52 3 461 484 doi 10 1177 02656914221103467 ISSN 0265 6914 Weyer Fritz 1990 Martini Erich Neue Deutsche Biographie Vol 16 Berlin Duncker amp Humblot pp 297 298 Reinhardt Klaus 2013 The Entomological Institute of the Waffen SS evidence for offensive biological warfare research in the third Reich Endeavour 37 4 220 227 doi 10 1016 j endeavour 2013 05 001 PMID 23787226 Sachtleben Hans 1961 Entomologische Chronik Prof Dr phil et med Erich Martini Prof Dr Hans Bischoff Prof Dr Hermann Schmitz Oberregierungsrat i R Dr Hugo Thiem Prof Dr Wladimir Weniaminowitzsch Popow Dr H F Barnes Arthur Burton Gahan Prof Carlos A Lizer y Trelles Prof Dr Karel Absolon Beitrage zur Entomologie in German 11 3 4 476 480 doi 10 21248 contrib entomol 11 3 4 476 480 ISSN 2511 6428 Snowden Frank M 2012 Mosquito Wars Malaria and Bioterrorism in Italy 1943 1945 PDF History of Dermatology Society Newsletter 10 6 388 389 PMID 23346668 Geissler Erhard Guillemin Jeanne 2010 German flooding of the Pontine Marshes in World War II Biological warfare or total war tactic Politics and the Life Sciences 29 1 2 23 doi 10 2990 29 1 2 ISSN 0730 9384 JSTOR 40984008 Geissler Erhard Guillemin Jeanne 2010 German flooding of the Pontine Marshes in World War II Biological warfare or total war tactic Politics and the Life Sciences 29 1 2 23 doi 10 2990 29 1 2 ISSN 0730 9384 JSTOR 40984008 Hering Rainer 2000 Nazi Persecution and the Pursuit of Science Correspondence between Erich Martini and Otto Hecht 1946 47 Jewish Culture and History 3 1 95 124 doi 10 1080 1462169X 2000 10511944 ISSN 1462 169X Shingarev N I 1926 New information on Culicidae of the USSR Russki Zhurnal Tropicheskoi Meditsiny in Russian 2 47 48 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Erich Martini amp oldid 1219062148, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
