Victor Capesius
| Victor Capesius | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
7 February 1907 Reußmarkt, Transylvania, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 20 March 1985 (aged 78) Göppingen, Germany |
| Cause of death | Natural |
| Nationality | German/Romanian |
| Political party | National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) |
| Spouse(s) | Wife |
| Children | 3 children |
| Education | University of Cluj, Transylvania (Romania) and University of Vienna, Austria |
| Occupation | Doctor of Pharmacy |
| Known for | "The Druggist of Auschwitz" KZ-Apotheker (Pharmacist) of Dachau Concentration Camp, Sep 1943 and Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Feb 1944—Jan 1945, |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch |
 Schutzstaffel
|
| Rank | SS-Sturmbannführer |
Victor Capesius (February 7, 1907 Reußmarkt, Transylvania (Austria-Hungary) – March 20, 1985 Göppingen, Germany) was a Nazi SS-Sturmbannführer (Major) and KZ-Apotheker (concentration camp pharmacist) in the concentration camps of Dachau (1943–1944) and Auschwitz (1944-1945).
The son of a physician and pharmacist, Capesius began his academic studies in 1924 at the University of Cluj after graduating from high school. He worked towards a pharmacy degree and then transferred to the University of Vienna, where in 1933, he received his Doctorate of Pharmacy. He was married in 1934 and worked for a subsidiary of IG Farben selling products to doctors and pharmacists.
After the start of World War II in 1939, Capesius joined the Romanian army and rose to the rank of captain while serving at a military hospital's pharmacy.
As an ethnic German, Capesius moved to the Waffen-SS after Romania joined the Axis powers in 1940. After training at the SS-Zentrale Sanitäranlage (Central Sanitary Facility) in Warsaw, he was sent to Dachau Concentration Camp in September 1943; he worked there until his subsequent transfer to Auschwitz Concentration Camp in February 1944. In Auschwitz, he acted as the attending KZ-Apotheker (pharmacist) until the camp was evacuated in January 1945. Capesius worked closely with Josef Mengele and together they were heavily involved in the selection of inmates for the gas chamber. In Auschwitz, he had risen to the rank of SS-Sturmbannführer, in November 1944, and was in charge and control of the chemicals used in the extermination of the Jews, such as phenol and Zyklon B. This, it should be noted, was during the mass murder of almost 400,000 Hungarian Jews.
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