Use of Rorschach tests at the Nuremberg war crimes trial: A forgotten chapter in history of medicine

• In 1945, Nazi war criminals were studied with Rorschach tests.
• The findings from such testing were kept under wraps for decades after the trial.
• Their validity has been challenged due to non-blinded interpretation.

Seventy years ago, psychiatrists and psychologists had unusual access to the Nazi leaders awaiting trial by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg. Early leaders in the field of psychosomatic medicine were instrumental in facilitating these interviews as well as arranging for the administration of psychological testing with the Rorschach inkblot test. These observations were kept under wraps for decades and there remains controversy even now about what these Rorschachs revealed—demonic psychopaths or just morally corrupt individuals.