Ep 5. Angel of Death - Joseph Mengele

In Nazi Hunters season 1 episode 5, titled "Angel of Death - Joseph Mengele," the series explores the story of one of the most notorious Nazi war criminals, Dr. Joseph Mengele. Known as the "Angel of Death," Mengele was responsible for horrific acts of medical experimentation on prisoners at the Auschwitz concentration camp during the Holocaust.

The episode begins with an introduction to Mengele's early life, including his upbringing in a wealthy Bavarian family and his education as a physician. We learn that Mengele was initially known as a talented and well-respected doctor, but his descent into evil began when he joined the Nazi Party in 1937 and embraced its anti-Semitic ideology.

As the war progressed, Mengele was assigned to Auschwitz, where he became notorious for his medical experiments on prisoners. These experiments included injecting chemicals into the eyes of children to try and change their eye colors, and performing brutal surgeries without anesthesia. Mengele also selected prisoners for his experiments based on their physical characteristics, often choosing twins or people with rare genetic conditions.

The episode features interviews with several survivors of Mengele's experiments, as well as historians and experts on the Holocaust. They describe the horror of Mengele's experiments and the psychological trauma that survivors continue to experience decades later.

The episode also explores Mengele's post-war years, as he fled Europe and went into hiding in South America. Several individuals and organizations are highlighted who played a role in hunting Mengele down, including Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and the Simon Wiesenthal Center. We learn about the challenges they faced in tracing Mengele's movements and the lengths they went to in order to apprehend him.

Throughout the episode, viewers are presented with a powerful and emotional portrait of one of the most heinous criminals of the Nazi regime. The interviews with survivors are particularly moving, as they speak about their experiences of suffering and loss, as well as their ongoing struggles to come to terms with what they endured.

Overall, "Angel of Death - Joseph Mengele" is a gripping and thought-provoking episode that sheds light on the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and the efforts made to hold those responsible accountable for their actions.