Euthanasia Program Lebensunwertes Leben Life unworthy of life

Euthanasia Program Lebensunwertes Leben “Life unworthy of life” The Nazis believed certain segments of the population had no right to live and were a drain on the Reich’s resources. “ 60, 000 Reichsmarks is what this person suffering from hereditary disease costs the Volksgemeinschaft (people’s community) during his lifetime. Fellow citizen, that is your money. ” – Nazi Propganda ->

Actions Based on Eugenics Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring Passed in July 1933 and went into effect January 1934 300, 000 to 400, 000 were sterilized under this law (Rhineland Bastards) Reich Central Office for the Combating of Homosexuality and Abortion Est. Oct 10, 1936 by Reichsfuhrer –SS Heinrich Himmler Increased the persecution of homosexuals (Persecution was diminished during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin)

Nazi Germany was not the only nation to have sterilization laws

T-4 Program 1939 - 1941 Tiergartenstrasse 4, Berlin was the address of the coordinating office Purpose: To eliminate those deemed “life unworthy of life” and to protect the racial integrity of the Volk Those deemed unworthy included: 1) Those with chronic psychiatric or neurological disorders (schizophrenia, dementia, epilepsy) 2) Those not of German or “related” blood. 3) The criminally insane 4) Those institutionalized for more than 5 years

T-4 Program Euthanasia program started as a program targeting children August 18, 1939: Physicians, Nurses, Midwives are directed to report children under 3 that may suffer from a physical or mental disability October 1939: Parents are encouraged to send their children to special pediatric clinics; these clinics were actually killing centers Murders carried out by starvation or lethal doses of medication The scope of the program is extended to children up to 17

". . . because God cannot want the sick and ailing to reproduce. "

T-4 Program In the fall of 1939, Hitler gave an order to expand the euthanasia program to adults. Adults would be sent to, and gassed, at one of six killing centers – usually hospitals

For the Nazis, the Euthanasia program was a racial action – sterilize and euthanize undesirable persons to protect the race. It would also serve as practice for the Final Solution. The use of gas as a murder weapon would be carried over and those physician and administrators of the T 4 program that were highly successful would find roles in the Final Solution.