Schlichter von Koenigswald

Dr. Schlichter von Koenigswald was a doctor at the House of Hope and Mercy in the Jungle, run by Julian Castle, on the island nation of San Lorenzo. He served in the German S.S. for 14 years, six of them as camp physician at Auschwitz. There he was responsible for so many deaths that Castle once quipped that the number of lives he's saved on San Lorenzo might surpass those he killed around "the year 3010." He served as the primary doctor for "Papa" Monzano, the island's dictator. When "Papa" was near death, Von Koenigswald summoned Dr. Vox Humana to perform Christian last rites, but "Papa" threw him out, declaring himself a Bokononist. Although had never done so before, Von Koenigswald administered the last rites of Bokononism to "Papa," having seen Castle perform it often.

Von Koenigswald was the one to discover that "Papa" had committed suicide by taking a small amount of ice-nine that was in a cylinder hung around his neck, which turned his body solid. To demonstrate to John and the Hoenikker siblings, he even struck "Papa," which produced a marimba-like sound. Having got ice-nine on his hands, when Von Koenigswald washed up afterward, the water solidified, enveloping his hands. Experimentally, he touched it with the tip of his tongue, causing him to solidify as well. He was the second human known to have died of ice-nine exposure. When cleaning the scene after, John and the Hoenikker siblings hid Von Koenigswald's body in the bedroom closet. John considered him a member of his karass.

Quotes

"I agree with one Bokononist idea. I agree that all religions, including Bokononism, are nothing but lies."

"I am a very bad scientist. I will do anything to make a human being feel better, even if it's unscientific. No scientist worthy of the name could say such a thing."

"What chemical could possibly..." Last words