The Permissible Use of the Pernkopf Atlas: A Single‐Case Qualitative Study of the Vienna Protocol

ABSTRACT

This qualitative instrumental case study examines the ethical considerations surrounding the infamous Nazi‐era Pernkopf Atlas through an in‐depth interview with Rabbi Joseph Polak, the primary drafter of the Vienna Protocol. Created using the bodies of Nazi victims, the Atlas presents a major moral dilemma for contemporary medical and surgical practice. The analysis identified five key interpretive domains: (i) the moral paradox of tainted greatness, (ii) the intrinsic dignity and consequentiality of human life, (iii) the Protocol as ethical mediation rather than resolution, (iv) the duty of historical witnessing, and (v) conditional ethical responsibility. The findings reveal that while the Jewish principle of piku'ah nefesh (preserving life) may permit the Atlas's exceptional clinical use, it demands strict disclosure and restricted access rather than silent normalization. Ultimately, the Vienna Protocol provides a model for confronting ethically compromised scientific knowledge, ensuring its clinical utility is never separated from its historical cost.