Adolf Pokorny was born on July 26, 1895 in Vienna. He was dermatologist and Medical Doctorate. He was a defendant in the Doctor's Trial.

Pokorny participated from March 1915 to September 1918 in the First World War. He received many medals and was discharged later in the rank of a second lieutenant.

In 1922, he completed his medical doctorate and on March 22, 1922 and received his medical license. After two years of clinical training, he opened a practice in Komotau, specializing in skin and sexually transmitted diseases. His application to enter the NSDAP was declined in 1939, because he was married to a Jewish physician from whom he was divorced in April 1935.

During World War II, Pokorny worked as a medical officer of the German Armed Forces. Pokorny was tried by the American Military Tribunal No. I in August, 1947. However, he was found innocent of having participated in involuntary sterilization experiments.