Josef Mengele CIA Files

Description

This extensive collection of 574 pages of declassified CIA documents details the agency’s investigation into Josef Mengele, the infamous Auschwitz doctor known for his horrific human experimentation. The files, some of which remained secret until 2007, offer a comprehensive, albeit fragmented, picture of Mengele’s life after his escape from Europe.

The documents are not solely comprised of CIA intelligence reports; they also include a variety of published materials. These materials cover various aspects of Mengele’s post-war existence, such as his various hideouts in South America, numerous instances of mistaken identity, and questionable reports regarding his connections in Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil. A significant portion of the files focuses on the events of 1984 and 1985, when credible information about Mengele’s whereabouts finally surfaced.

Mengele’s escape route led him to Paraguay in 1951, where he resided for a period and even obtained Paraguayan citizenship in 1959 under his real name. However, following rumors of his presence, he relocated primarily to Brazil, adopting the alias Wolfgang Gerhard. His death, a consequence of a stroke suffered while swimming in Sao Paulo in 1979, remained unknown for several years. The revelation of his death only came to light in 1985 through the testimony of a Brazilian German couple, the Bosserts, who had sheltered him. The Bosserts provided crucial information regarding his death and burial location in Embu, a town near Sao Paulo.

The subsequent investigation by Sao Paulo police into Mengele’s remains was, unfortunately, deeply flawed. This prompted intervention from West German, U.S., and Israeli investigative teams, who provided expert assistance in the forensic analysis. Ultimately, all these expert teams corroborated the conclusion that Mengele had indeed perished in Sao Paulo in 1979. Crucial evidence regarding Josef Mengele’s whereabouts comes from a July 18, 1965 CIA document responding to a Justice Department inquiry. This response detailed a background check on Dr. Theodor Binder, the director of the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Pucallpa, Peru, who was believed to possess information relevant to Mengele’s location. The CIA’s files on Binder unexpectedly included a State Department communication to the U.S. Secret Service concerning a counterfeit currency ring operating in Peru, allegedly involving several former Nazi officials, some with ties to ODESSA, an organization of former SS officers active in South America. Furthermore, a separate report mentions a sighting of Klaus Schwend (whose name appears in CIA files related to Klaus Barbie) with Mengele in Uruguay in 1962. Another document, without a specified date, suggests that some of Mengele’s South American associates might have been involved in drug trafficking.

Importantly, however, these documents reveal nothing suggesting any direct collaboration between the CIA and Mengele. The files do not pinpoint Mengele’s various hiding places with precision. While the CIA initiated a search for Mengele in 1972, concluding he had been in Paraguay under the protection of the Paraguayan government before disappearing around 1960 and possibly fleeing to Brazil, this investigation was relatively late. A comprehensive U.S. investigation into Mengele’s location only commenced in 1985—a full six years after his actual death. This timeline highlights the delayed and ultimately unsuccessful nature of official U.S. efforts to locate the infamous Nazi doctor. The information contained within the National Archives and Records Administration documents paints a picture of fragmented intelligence and circumstantial connections, rather than a clear narrative of CIA involvement in Mengele’s evasion of justic

Mengele’s Elusive Life and Death

Timeline of Events

• Pre-1951: Josef Mengele operates as a doctor in Auschwitz, conducting horrific experiments on prisoners.
• 1951: Mengele escapes Europe and arrives in Paraguay.
• 1959: Mengele obtains Paraguayan citizenship under his real name.
• 1960: Rumors of Mengele’s presence in Paraguay surface, prompting him to flee. He is believed to have relocated to Brazil.
• 1962: Mengele is sighted with Werner Schwend in Uruguay.
• 1965 (July 18): The CIA responds to a Justice Department request for information on Theodor Binder, potentially connected to Mengele, and counterfeit US currency circulation in Peru. This response references possible Nazi connections, including former SS officers in South America.
• 1972: The CIA initiates a search for Mengele, confirming his previous presence in Paraguay under government protection.
• 1979: Mengele suffers a stroke while swimming in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and dies. He is buried under the alias Wolfgang Gearhart in Embu.
• 1985:The Bossert family, who had befriended Mengele in Brazil, reveal his death and burial location.
• Sao Paolo police conduct a flawed forensic investigation of Mengele’s remains.
• West German, US, and Israeli investigators arrive in Sao Paolo to assist the investigation.
• All expert teams conclude that Mengele died in Sao Paolo in 1979.

Cast of Characters

Josef Mengele (“Dr. Mengele”): The primary subject of the source. An Auschwitz doctor infamous for his cruel experiments on prisoners. He escaped to South America after WWII, living under various aliases until his death in 1979.

Theodor Binder: Head of the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Pucallpa, Peru. The CIA had a file on him concerning counterfeit US currency circulation in Peru, possibly involving former Nazi officials.

Werner Schwend: A potential associate of Mengele and a former SS officer. He was sighted with Mengele in Uruguay in 1962 and potentially involved in ODESSA.

The Bossert Family: A Brazilian German couple who befriended Mengele in Brazil. They revealed his death and burial location in 1985.

Various Investigators: Teams from West Germany, the US, and Israel were sent to Sao Paolo to investigate Mengele’s remains and confirm his death.