Carl Peter Værnet (April 28, 1893 – November 25, 1965) was a Danish doctor at Buchenwald concentration camp.[1] He experimented extensively with hormones and possible ways to try to treat homosexuality by injecting synthetic hormones into men's testicles.[2] His research was under the authority of Gestapo chief Heinrich Himmler.[3]
Danish doctor Carl Værnet conducted hormonal experiments on gay men on the personal authority of Himmler.[30] He was awarded 1,500 German marks monthly from the SS funds to test his "cure", which involved incisions in the subject's groin where an artificial male sexual gland was implanted.[27] This was a metal tube that released testosterone over a prolonged period, as the doctor believed that a lack of testosterone was the cause of homosexuality. Although some of the men claimed to have become heterosexual, the results are largely unreliable as many are assumed to have stated they were "cured" in order to be released from the camp. Those who did not show improvement were determined to be "chronic" or "incurable" homosexuals.[31][32] At least seventeen prisoners were used for Værnet's research, which also involved criminal and heterosexual participants.[27] Twelve gay men were subjected to the hormonal experiment and two of these men died due to infections.[30]
Danish doctor Carl Værnet conducted hormonal experiments on gay men on the personal authority of Himmler.[30] He was awarded 1,500 German marks monthly from the SS funds to test his "cure", which involved incisions in the subject's groin where an artificial male sexual gland was implanted.[27] This was a metal tube that released testosterone over a prolonged period, as the doctor believed that a lack of testosterone was the cause of homosexuality. Although some of the men claimed to have become heterosexual, the results are largely unreliable as many are assumed to have stated they were "cured" in order to be released from the camp. Those who did not show improvement were determined to be "chronic" or "incurable" homosexuals.[31][32] At least seventeen prisoners were used for Værnet's research, which also involved criminal and heterosexual participants.[27] Twelve gay men were subjected to the hormonal experiment and two of these men died due to infections.[30]
