Hans Asperger

Life & Legacy

Johann Friedrich Karl Asperger (; German: [ˈhans ˈaspɛɐ̯ɡɐ]; 18 February 1906 – 21 October 1980) was an Austrian physician. He studied atypical neurology, specifically in children, and is the namesake of Asperger syndrome. He wrote more than 300 publications on psychological disorders that posthumously acquired international renown in the 1980s.
In the late 2010s he was accused of referring children to the Am Spiegelgrund children's clinic in Vienna during the Nazi period. The clinic was responsible for murdering hundreds of disabled children deemed to be "unworthy of life" as part of the Third Reich's child euthanasia programs (as part of the T4 Programme).
However, subsequent peer-reviewed studies have concluded that, although it is not possible to determine with certainty what Asperger knew about the infant euthanasia program, he was not directly involved in it, did not violate professional medical ethics and the fatal decisions that led to the deaths of some of his patients were made by other physicians. Historical records indicate that Asperger did not report any children to the Berlin health authorities, despite being legally obliged to do so at the time.