Theodor Morell
Theodor Gilbert Morell (22 July 1886 – 26 May 1948) was Adolf Hitler's personal doctor. For years, Morell treated Hitler with many different drugs. He helped Hitler with almost everything Hitler did. Morell escaped from Hitler's bunker just a few hours before Hitler killed himself there.[1]
Theodor Morell | |
|---|---|
 circa 1944 | |
| Born | Theodor Gilbert Morell 22 July 1886 Trais-Münzenberg, Germany |
| Died | 26 May 1948 (aged 61) Tegernsee, Bavaria, Germany |
| Occupation | Doctor |
| Employer | Adolf Hitler |
| Known for | Being Adolf Hitler's personal doctor |
| Spouse | Hannelore Moller (married in 1920) |
Life before Hitler
changeMorell was born in a small village called Trais-Münzenberg, in Upper Hesse, Germany.[2] His family was half Jewish.[3]
Morell studied medicine in France. Then he trained in obstetrics and gynecology in Munich, Germany. He became a doctor on 23 May 1913.[2]
Morell worked as a ship's doctor for a year. Then, in 1914, when Germany was fighting World War I, he volunteered to be a doctor for the German army. He worked as a doctor in a German army battalion until 1917.[2]
By 1918, Morell had opened his own doctor's office in Berlin. He became popular for treating his patients' illnesses in unusual ways. The Shah of Persia and the King of Romania both asked Morell to be their personal doctors, but Morell refused.
In 1920, Morell married Hannelore Moller, a rich actress.
Being Hitler's doctor
changeMorell joined the Nazi Party when Hitler became the Chancellor (leader) of Germany in 1933.[2] In 1935, Morell treated Hitler's personal photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann. Hoffmann told Hitler that Morell had saved his life.[4]
In 1936, Hitler met Morell for the first time. Hitler was having very bad stomach pain, and also had a rash on his leg. Morell was able to cure both problems with medicines.[2][4] After this, Hitler asked Morell to be his personal doctor. Soon, Hitler decided Morell was a medical genius. Morell became one of Hitler's closest friends.[4]
Morell began to treat Hitler with a drug he called "Vitamultin" when Hitler felt tired in the morning. Right after he got a shot of Vitamultin, Hitler would feel awake and have a lot of energy. Ernst-Günther Schenck, a doctor in the SS, had some Vitamultin tested. It had methamphetamine in it.
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In 1938, Hitler demanded control of part of Czechoslovakia. While Hitler was meeting with the Czechoslovak president, Emil Hacha, Hitler began yelling at Hacha. Hacha became so scared of Hitler that he fainted. Morell injected stimulant drugs into Hacha to wake him up. Morell said these drugs were only vitamins, but they may have included methamphetamine. Soon after Morell gave him the drugs, Hacha agreed to do what Hitler wanted.
Treating Hitler with drugs
changeMorell began treating Hitler with more and more drugs. Most were medicines sold in stores, but some were Morell's own mixes. Many of the things Morell gave Hitler are toxic (poisonous). Because of this, some historians think Morell accidentally made Hitler's bad health even worse.
Morell kept a medical diary of the drugs, vitamins, and other chemicals he gave Hitler.[5] The diary lists 74 different drugs, in 28 different mixtures.[5] They include psychoactive drugs like heroin, and things sold as poisons. Some of the other drugs Morell gave Hitler were:[1]
Drugs that are now illegal in Germany
change- Methamphetamine and amphetamines (called "Pervitin" and "Vitamultin")[1][6]
- Cocaine (in eyedrops)
Opioid painkillers
changeToxins
change- Belladonna mixed with strychnine (called "Koster's Antigaspills")[1][6]
- Atropine[6]
- E. coli (a bacteria that Morell would take from human feces)[1]
Other things
change- A barbiturate called Brom-Nervacit (almost every night, starting in August 1941)[1]
- Sulfonamide, an antibiotic
- Testosterone
- Caffeine
- Vitamins
Reputation
changeMany of Hitler's other close friends did not like Morell. For example, Hermann Göring, the Vice-Chancellor of Germany, called Morell Der Reichsspritzenmeister ("Injection Master of the German Reich")[7] and "The Master of the Imperial Needle."[8] Both nicknames meant the same thing: that Morell used injections (shots of medicine) to fix every problem.
Morell often argued with Dr. Karl Brandt, who had been Hitler's personal doctor since 1933. Eva Braun, Hitler's girlfriend, called Morell's office a "pig sty" and refused to see him.
Prison and death
changeOn 20 April 1945, during the Battle of Berlin, Hitler was hiding in his bunker in Berlin with Morell and some of his other personal workers. Hitler told Morell and some other workers to fly from Berlin to the Obersalzberg (Hitler's home in the mountains).[2] Morell flew out of Berlin on 23 April.[2]
Morell was soon caught by the Americans. He was interrogated on 18 May 1945.[2] He was kept in jail in an American prison camp, in the same place that the Nazi concentration camp called Buchenwald used to be. However, he was never charged with a crime.
Morell died on 26 May 1948, in a hospital in Bavaria, Germany. He was very obese and had many health problems when he died.[2]
Related pages
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References
change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Chris Durlacher, Producer, and Jon-Barrie Waddell, Executive Producer. Hitler's Hidden Drug Habit: Secret History (Video) (YouTube). Waddell Media in association with National Geographic Channels. Retrieved 2016-01-09.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Joachimsthaler, Anton (1996). The Last Days of Hitler: The Legends, the Evidence, the Truth. Trans. Helmut Bögler. London: Brockhampton Press. ISBN 978-1-86019-902-8.
- ↑ "Hitler had split personality: His doctor's opinion". The Guardian. London. 22 May 1945. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Snyder, Louis (1994) [1976]. Encyclopedia of the Third Reich. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-1-56924-917-8.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Trevor-Roper, Hugh (2012). The Last Days of Hitler. Pan Macmillan. pp. 79–82. ISBN 978-0-330-47027-8. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Doyle, D. (2005). Adolf Hitler's Medical Care (PDF) (Report). Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. p. 75-82. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-11-18. Retrieved 2016-01-09.
- ↑ Junge, Traudl (May 9, 2005). Until the Final Hour: Hitler's Last Secretary. Arcade Publishing. ISBN 978-1-55970-756-5.
- ↑ O’Donnell, James P. (February 2001). The Bunker. Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-80958-3.