Traveling in grotesque, rickety cattle cars without food, water, or toilets, many Jews, Roma, and enemies of the Nazis arrived in the concentration camp of Auschwitz tired, hungry, and confused. As the massive cattle car doors opened to the blinding sunlight, the frightened people could hardly make out the silhouettes of the terrifying men in uniform who carried guns and shouted orders at them, while hastily pulling on the tired bodies standing in the car doors. The German Shepard dogs, at the end of SS guards' leashes, barked furiously and angrily at the crowd of starving individuals. Amidst all the shouting, barking, and confusion, one figure stood distinctly before all, Josef Mengele.Born on March 16, 1911, Josef was the first child born to Karl and Walburga Mengele following Walburga's first tragic stillbirth. The Mengele family lived in the small, picturesque town of Gunzburg, located in the southern German state of Bavaria along the mighty Danube River. Previous to Josef's birth, his father, Karl, ran a farm machinery factory along with a mechanic named, Andreas Eisenlauer. In 1907, the factory burnt to the ground, leaving Karl and Andreas ample funds from the insurance to rebuild the factory from scratch on a plot of land outside of town. After a few years, with only seven men on the payroll, Andreas left the partnership due to poor health, relinquishing all power to Karl. The business prospered quickly under Karl's sole control; by the time Josef was born, his father had grown wealthy enough to purchase himself a Benz motorcar. Upon purchasing the expensive car, Karl arrived home to surprise his wife, but only received disapproval and disgust from his cold and callous wife. The ill-tempered woman was feared by many townspeople and factory workers; domineering Walburga was often considered a person incapable of love. Whether because of his cold-hearted and domineering wife or his craving to continue his successful pa...
