Joseph Mengele was one of the most notable men involved in the Holocaust. As an SS doctor, he performed tons of medical experiments on the prisoners being held at Auschwitz and was known for various poor practices, torture, and other horrible practices that are still shocking to people today.
The Doctor was actually born in Germany to a manufacturer. He earned his PhD in 1935 in physical anthropology, and worked at a place known as the Institute for Hereditary Biology and Racial Hygiene. It was only a matter of time before he ended up a member of the Nazi Party, which happened in 1937. He also earned his medical degree and joined the SS in 1938 before being drafted into the army in 1940. He volunteered with the
Waffen-SS medical service but records of his activities from that point until 1933 are somewhat contradictory and hard to find.
Mengele returned in 1943 to Germany after being wounded in the war. He became an SS captain and was transferred to Auschwitz in May 1943. He wasn't the only physician at the camp or the highest ranking, but he was definitely known for his actions. He worked under SS captain Dr. Eduard Wirths, and was the medical officer for the gypsy camp at Birkenau. He then became the Chief Camp Physician in November. Although there were about 30 doctors working at this concentration camp and all were responsible for 'selection duty' where they determined which prisoners would die and which could be used, Mengele is the best known for this task. He's often referred to as the Angel of Death because of his cold demeanor.
Even though he worked no more than his associates, he was seen in the selection area when he was off-duty because he was looking for twins. This is likely why he has become so notable in historical accounts and survivors' stories, even though he wasn't a main or singular doctor at the huge camp. Because Mengele had a huge interest in research and experimentation, he took it upon himself to use the prisoners for his interests.
His goal was to use this "research", which was far more like torture, to create a dissertation that would help him get accepted as a professor, but that objective never got accomplished. Joseph Mengele fled the country to avoid capture and went to South America. He lived in Paraguay for a few years and then to Brazil, where he died of a stroke in 1979. He was initially buried under a fictitious name.