Carl Peter Værnet (April 28, 1893 – November 25, 1965) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

doctor at Buchenwald concentration camp and an SS-Sturmbannführer. Værnet attempted to cure homosexuality by implanting artificial hormone glands into male prisoners at Buchenwald. Although he was arrested after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Værnet fled to

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

where he practiced medicine until his death.

Early life and education

Carl Værnet was born Carl Peter Jensen in

Jutland, Denmark Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

. In 1921, he changed his last name to Værnet (in Danish, ''to protect''). He was educated as a physician at the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public research university in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in Scandinavia after Uppsala Unive ...

where he obtained his degree of medicine in 1923. Værnet worked as a general practitioner in Copenhagen, popular for his alternative treatments.

Nazi Germany and Buchenwald

Værnet joined the

National Socialist Workers' Party of Denmark The National Socialist Workers' Party of Denmark ( da, Danmarks Nationalsocialistiske Arbejderparti; DNSAP) was the largest Nazi Party in Denmark before and during the Second World War. History The party was founded on 16 November 1930, after ...

in the late 1930s. After his membership in the Danish Nazi Party and collaboration with German occupants became known, his patients abandoned him and his professional and financial situation worsened. In October 1943, three months after his clinic had been bombed by the resistance group

Holger Danske Holger may refer to: People * Holger (given name), includes name origin, plus people with the name * Hilde Holger, stage name of dancer, choreographer and dance teacher Hilde Boman-Behram (née Hilde Sofer, 1905–2001) Fictional characters * Holg ...

, Værnet and his family moved to

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

on invitation. In Berlin, Værnet was introduced to deputy Reich SS Physician

Ernst-Robert Grawitz Ernst-Robert Grawitz (8 June 1899 – 24 April 1945) was a German physician and an Schutzstaffel, SS functionary (''Reichsarzt'', "arzt" meaning "physician") during the Nazi era. Biography Grawitz was born in Charlottenburg, in the western par ...

, who was personal assistant to

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...

. Himmler, determined to eliminate homosexuality from Nazi Germany, was interested in Værnet's proposal to cure male homosexuality through an artificial hormonal gland implanted under the skin, which would release testosterone.

wrote "treat Værnet with the utmost generosity. I request a report of three to four pages each month because I am very interested in these things". Værnet was relocated to

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

to carry out his research at Buchenwald concentration camp under "German Medicines Ltd". He was given an apartment originally belonging to Jews. Værnet traveled between Prague and Buchenwald, first arriving to the camp on the 26th of July 1944. He was supported in his work by the camp doctor . Up to 17 men were involved in the experiment, although Vaernet implanted capsules into 12 of the prisoners. These included "real homosexuals" and some castrated heterosexual offenders. According to LeVay, at least 10 of these men were homosexual. Although Schiedlausky reported that a total of 13 men received implants, Grau notes that "Shielausky's figure of 13 operations is contentious. The first was performed by Værnet on 13.9.44 on five prisoners, the second on 8.12.44 on a further seven". According to notes written by the senior doctor at Buchenwald dated 3 January 1945, at least one man died during the experiment on 21 December 1944 ‘‘of heart failure associated with infectious enteritis and general bodily weakness".

Eugen Kogon Eugen Kogon (2 February 1903 – 24 December 1987) was a historian and Nazi concentration camp survivor. A well-known Christian opponent of the Nazi Party, he was arrested more than once and spent six years at Buchenwald concentration camp. Kogo ...

reported that a second man died as a result of the operations due to festering inflammation of cell tissue, presumably after 3 January 1945. Little is known about fate of the other victims, as none are known to have applied for financial compensation after 1945. Værnet claimed that "successes" with the implants occurred, presumably due to positive reports from prisoners hoping to receive a release from the camp, or knowing it would increase their odds of survival. The lack of scientific evaluation on the effectiveness of Værnet's experiment gave rise to suspicion from the SS camp officers. Værnet's final report to Himmler on 10 February 1945 reported that his hormonal research remained unfinished, Weindling, Paul (2015). ''Victims and Survivors of Nazi Human Experiments: Science and Suffering in the Holocaust''. Bloomsbury Academic. . and included excessive praise of Himmler, perhaps in an attempt to distract from his lack of results. The hypothesis that levels of circulating hormones determined (or cured) male homosexual orientation was later discredited by scientific research, and the organizational role of hormones prior to birth became a more influential hypothesis.

Post-war and escape to Argentina

After the war, Værnet returned to Copenhagen and was arrested. He was detained at Alsgade Skole

prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, and military prisons. ...

, run by the British major Ronald F Hemingway, who said that Værnet “undoubtedly will be sentenced as a war criminal”. However, he was released with the help of his son Kjeld Værnet who claimed he had a "life threatening" heart condition, and argued of the importance his artificial endocrine gland that promised "tremendous export revenues" for Denmark. Hemingway authorised his transfer to a hospital, however records show that Værnet’s heart tests were normal and that he did not receive treatment. On his father's behalf, Kjeld Værnet unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate the sale of the artificial gland to a large British–American pharmaceutical company. However, Kjeld Værnet was successful in arranging his father's escape to

via Stockholm, Sweden. A medical colleague of Værnet’s informed the Danish public prosecutor that his declining health required a vitamin E treatment that was available in Sweden. Værnet was given a permit to travel to Sweden and was able to support himself with a state

stipend A stipend is a regular fixed sum of money paid for services or to defray expenses, such as for scholarship, internship, or apprenticeship. It is often distinct from an income or a salary because it does not necessarily represent payment for work p ...

he received. Værnet fled to

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

. He received Argentinian citizenship under the name "Carlos Peter Værnet" and worked as a general practitioner. Kjeld Værnet twice unsuccessfully attempted to negotiate

impunity Impunity is avoidance of punishment, loss, or other negative consequences for an action. In the international law of human rights, impunity is failure to bring perpetrators of human rights violations to justice and, as such, itself constitutes a d ...

to allow his father's return to Denmark. However, the Danish government decided not to extradite him. Carl Værnet died in 1965 and was buried in

Cementerio Británico Cementerio Británico de Buenos Aires, also known in English as Buenos Aires British cemetery, is a cemetery in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is in the district of Chacarita in the northern part of Buenos Aires, adjacent to La Chacarita Cemeter ...

, Buenos Aires. His son Kjeld Værnet (1920–1999) was a respected neurosurgeon at

Rigshospitalet Rigshospitalet (meaning ''The National'', ''State'' or ''Hospital of the Realm'', but not usually translated) is the largest public and teaching hospital in Copenhagen and the most highly specialised hospital in Denmark. The hospital's main buildi ...

in Copenhagen. According to

Peter Tatchell Peter Gary Tatchell (born 25 January 1952) is a British human rights campaigner, originally from Australia, best known for his work with LGBT social movements. Tatchell was selected as the Labour Party's parliamentary candidate for Bermondsey ...

, Værnet's files at the

Danish National Archives , nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = , logo_width = 300px , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = File:Rigsarkivet.jpg , picture_width = , picture_cap ...

remain classified and closed until 2025.

Early life and education

Nazi Germany and Buchenwald

Post-war and escape to Argentina

See also

References

Further reading