Gerhard Bohne
Gerhard Bohne was a lawyer, having entered the Berlin District Court in 1930. He was, educationally, relatively unremarkable; however, his participation in right-wing activity began quite early, in the 1920s. His education was complete by the time he joined the court, and he had a doctorate in law. He joined the Nazi party around the same time, in 1930. Between 1930 and 1933, Bohne defended other party members.
Following the takeover of the German government by the Nazi party in 1933, Bohne was appointed to serve as Head of Division I. Division I handled civil rights issues. Bohne experienced some legal difficulties in 1933, related to financial matters; on appeal, his jail sentence was eliminated, and there were no repercussions related to his career. He entered the SS in 1937.
From September 1939 onward, Bohne served as head of a shell corporation formed to hide Aktion T4. Aktion T4 was the German, Nazi-run, euthanasia program that targeted disabled children and later adults. Bohne worked extensively to create the administrative and bureaucratic network to support these killings, including the development of killing centers and transport of victims to killing facilities. Later, Bohne was found to be sharing information deemed sensitive, and was expelled from the Nazi party in 1943. Following his expulsion, he was drafted into the army, and captured by U.S. forces. He was released in 1946.
As there were no active warrants for his arrest, Bohne resumed work in Germany until 1949, when he fled to Argentina. He voluntarily returned to Germany in the 1950s, and was readmitted to the practice of law. He was arrested in Germany in 1959, but later escaped, returning to Argentina. In 1964, the German government filed for Bohne’s extradition to Germany for trial; he was charged with the responsibility for the deaths of 200,000 individuals in Aktion T4. His trial did not proceed as he was not found fit for trial.