9 People Who Abused Drugs In Nazi Germany
Next time you eat chocolate, check it doesn't contain meth.
In Nazi Germany, drug use was generally considered taboo. Cocaine and heroin were looked down upon, as the Nazis falsely believed that they were part of a Jewish conspiracy. Yet, thousands of Germans used drugs in order to cope with the war. Abuse was widespread among everyone from ordinary citizens, to soldiers, to some of the top Nazi officials. Even housewives partook, eating the methamphetamine laced Hildebrand chocolates so they could clean faster.
Though the Allies also used drugs to cope with the pressure, the drug abuse in Nazi Germany is extensively recorded in interviews, medical records, journal entries and official reports. Some historians theorize that this widespread drug use was pivotal in several key events - such as the invasion of France.
The majority of the people on this list got away without any punishment, even though they broke the law - which goes to show that even though the law was harsh, it was badly enforced, and most often used against minorities.
Some of the names on this list will surprise you, so read on...
9. Dr. Franz Wertheim
To cope with the pressures of the war, doctors were prone to taking drugs. Franz Wertheim, a medical officer in the military was no different. In 1940, Wertheim wrote that, "we doctors experimented on ourselves. We would begin the day by drinking a glass of cognac and taking two injections of morphine. We found cocaine to be useful at midday.” Wertheim wrote also that he and his fellow doctors “were not always fully in command of our senses.”
Cocaine use was looked down upon, as the Nazis saw it as a degenerate drug, and falsely associated it with the Jewish community. It was also used heavily in The Weimar Republic- a period of democratic rule in Germany that the Nazis had heavily opposed. Despite this, Cocaine was commonly prescribed by doctors, as a form of pain relief.