In her chilling historical account, (The Pharmacist of Auschwitz), Patricia Posner pulls back the curtain on one of the Holocaust’s most unsettling figures: Victor Capesius. This isn't just a biography of a monster; it’s a deep dive into how "ordinary" professionals can become cogs in a genocidal machine when fueled by greed and a lack of conscience. From Salesman to SS Officer
The Banality of Greed: A Look at "El Farmacéutico de Auschwitz"
Posner details a particularly haunting irony: Capesius was often recognized on the selection ramp by former Jewish medical customers. Instead of offering mercy, he used his knowledge to help decide who would live and who would be sent to the gas chambers. The Business of Death
Before the war, Victor Capesius was a successful pharmaceutical representative for in Romania. He was a man people knew and trusted—which makes his transformation all the more horrifying. By 1943, Capesius joined the SS and quickly rose to become the chief pharmacist at Auschwitz.
El Farmaceutico De Auschwitz - Patricia Posner.... Apr 2026
In her chilling historical account, (The Pharmacist of Auschwitz), Patricia Posner pulls back the curtain on one of the Holocaust’s most unsettling figures: Victor Capesius. This isn't just a biography of a monster; it’s a deep dive into how "ordinary" professionals can become cogs in a genocidal machine when fueled by greed and a lack of conscience. From Salesman to SS Officer
The Banality of Greed: A Look at "El Farmacéutico de Auschwitz"
Posner details a particularly haunting irony: Capesius was often recognized on the selection ramp by former Jewish medical customers. Instead of offering mercy, he used his knowledge to help decide who would live and who would be sent to the gas chambers. The Business of Death
Before the war, Victor Capesius was a successful pharmaceutical representative for in Romania. He was a man people knew and trusted—which makes his transformation all the more horrifying. By 1943, Capesius joined the SS and quickly rose to become the chief pharmacist at Auschwitz.