Josef Mengele

Josef Mengele was the oldest of three sons born to Karl and Walburga Mengele in the Bavarian town of Gunzburg. Karl was a local business owner who owned a plant that produced farming equipment. He was known as a stern but fair employer and a hard worker. It was his wife Walburga, however, who his employees feared the most. An mean woman with a bad temper, she was often known to storm onto the floor of her husband's factory and insult employees for laziness and bad work in front of everyone. Warnings were passed down the production line whenever Walburga was seen approaching the factory, and workers scrambled to stay clear of her.Walburga ruled her home with an equal amount of meanness, wanting respect and listening from her three sons, Josef, Alois, and Karl, Jr. A devoted Catholic, Walburga saw to it that her boys strictly practiced the faith of the Church. She was equally as mean and demanding in her relationship with her husband, Karl.
It is clear from his journals that his mother...