The Twisted Nazi Experiments That Inspired ‘The Human Centipede’

Although disgusting, the Human Centipede films have created a deep fascination with the gross and twisted world of body horror. If you know, you know; if you don’t, you’re likely more well-adjusted than the rest of us. Directed by Tom Six, The Human Centipede is a trilogy of films — released in 2009, 2011, and 2015 — widely known as depraved and well, icky. It’s the story of three people trapped by a deranged German surgeon after their car breaks down. This surgeon has the sick, twisted desire to torture them in various, inhumane ways and eventually turn those three people into a human centipede. How does he plan to do that, you might ask. He conjoins them through their gastric systems, of course! In simple terms, he puts them on their hands and knees and sews them together from mouth to anus.

But did you know that The Human Centipede was actually inspired by some horrific history? After reading the description of the film, it seems far-fetched that something of that abominable nature would be based on anything real — but it is! Between the heinous history of Nazi Germany and a joke between Tom Six and friends, The Human Centipede was born.

Is ‘The Human Centipede’ Based on a True Story?

During the Nazi reign of Germany, some incredibly questionable doctors and surgeons were performing experiments on victims in concentration camps. One of these doctors in particular was Dr. Josef Mengele. According to the Chicago Tribune, Mengele is accused of killing around 400,000 Jews at Auschwitz in a span of two years. During a testimony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, 30 survivors came forward to reveal the horrors of what Mengele would do. These survivors are only alive because they were twins. Mengele practiced eugenics, which is a set of practices where the main goal is to improve the genetic quality of the human population, typically by excluding or attempting to eradicate groups that were said to be “inferior.” For eugenicists, twins were the perfect subject because their differences were only due to behavior and not genetics. Ultimately, this means they felt as if they could wipe out what they deemed to be non-desirable characteristics through selective breeding. Based on that information, we can conclude that Mengele was a real piece of work.

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The survivors mentioned previously shared in their testimony some of the horrors that Mengele performed. One of those was ripping an infant from its mother’s womb and throwing the fetus into an oven because it wasn’t a twin. Another recounted him pinning eyeballs to the wall like a sadistic mural. Many of Mengele’s subjects who survived were subject to deep-seated trauma and even sometimes lifelong disfigurement. Mengele was known to try to force sterilization, inject diseases, amputate limbs, and even sew twins together to replicate conjoined twins. It seems very clear that the demented surgeon in The Human Centipede, Dr. Josef Heiter (Dieter Laser) was named after and inspired by Dr. Josef Mengele.

‘The Human Centipede’ Was Also Inspired by a Joke

Tom Six told IndieWire that he was assuredly wanting to create a film that was uncomfortable. That is the understatement of the year, Mr. Six! He attributes the success and popularity of the film to the fact that it is a new and fresh idea that isn’t a ghost story or a slasher. In an interview with The Guardian, Six revealed that he doesn’t do morals, and the contents of The Human Centipede trilogy really showcase that. In fact, the other inspiration for The Human Centipede came from a joke between him and a friend of his. The joke in question is just as appalling as the film itself in a very true Tom Six fashion. That joke is about how the greatest punishment for a child molester would be being sewn to the anus of an overweight truck driver.

What Else Did Tom Six Want ‘The Human Centipede’ To Convey?

The sensationalism of The Human Centipede can make it difficult to get to the root of the metaphors within the film. When you see a monstrosity on screen followed by lines of “feed her!” fully knowing what’s going to happen, it’s a little difficult to get your brain to think critically. The first sequence of The Human Centipede strongly takes a look at impurity, and not even just because of the intestinal content. The Nazi regime focused solely on the existence of impurity and how, in those leaders’ and doctors’ eyes, they had to get rid of it. Where the Nazis viewed anyone not of the “master race” to be impure, Six tackled the concept of their history being corrupt and full of monsters.

In the rest of the trilogy, metaphors are addressed in slightly different ways. The second sequence showcases how the line between fantasy and reality can sometimes blur, especially in regard to obsessive adoration. The antagonist of the second film is obsessed with the first film and Dr. Heiter’s work, so he sets out to create his own human centipede. The final sequence brings back Dr. Heiter’s character, but this time as a prison warden who co-conspires with his peers to create an even larger human centipede from prisoners after watching the first and second films (it’s giving Inception). The third film tackles issues ranging from racism, xenophobia, violence, and prison systems.

The Human Centipede has become a test of endurance in the horror world. It challenges anyone to sit through the whole thing without wanting to be sick, covering your eyes, or turning it off. Many critics will pin the movie as being too disgusting to enjoy, but those viewers who are really into body horror may marvel at just how absolutely insane these films are. The Human Centipede may take gross-out horror to the extreme, but its real-life inspirations materialize just how toxic society can be in the wrong hands. If you dare, you can watch The Human Centipede on AMC+, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple Video, but it may be best to keep a barf bag handy.