About Werner Heyde
Werner Heyde (aka Fritz Sawade) (25 April 1902 – 13 February 1964) was a German psychiatrist. He was one of the main organizers of Nazi Germany's Aktion T4 euthanasia program. == Early life == Heyde was born in Forst (Lausitz), on May 25, in 1902, and completed his Abitur in 1920. From 1922 to 1925, he studied medicine in Berlin, Freiburg, Marburg, Rostock and Würzburg and after short placements at the General Hospital in Cottbus and the sanatorium Berlin-Wittenau became assistant doctor at the Universitätsnervenklinik (university psychiatric hospital) in Würzburg. He obtained his licence to practice medicine in 1926, having completed all courses throughout his studies with top marks. == Career until 1945 == In 1933, Heyde made the acquaintance of Theodor Eicke, and became a member of the NSDAP. One year later, he was appointed director of the polyclinic in Würzburg. In 1935, he entered the SS as medical officer with the rank of SS-Hauptsturmführer, and became commander of the medical unit in the SS-Totenkopfverbände. There he was responsible for establishing a system of psychiatric and eugenic examinations and research in concentration camps, and for the organisation and the patient selection process of the Aktion T4 euthanasia program. Victims of the program were sent for use in anatomical dissections particularly at the University of Würzburg. Additionally, he also worked as a psychiatric consultant for the Gestapo.
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