Piero Martinello and Piero Casentini, The Weight of the Word, 2025

Medical eponyms are denominations of syndromes, diseases and discoveries that carry the name of the scientist who first isolated and described them. To this day, numerous eponyms controversially perpetuate the memory of doctors who worked under and were part of the Nazi regime. ‘The Weight of the Word’ is an extended visual essay combining archival images and texts to explore the biographies and work of nine Nazi doctors. It examines their scientific research and the subsequent damnatio memoriae following the condemnation of their actions, and offers a holistic view that intertwines their achievements, crimes, and the complex legacies they left behind.