Euthanasia in Germany Before and During the Third Reich

von Udo Benzenhöfer
103 Seiten
1. Auflage 2010
ISBN 978-3-86281-001-7
14,80 EUR

The Nazi’s so-called euthanasia program – the mass murder of mentally and physically disabled people – is singular in the history of the world. How did this come to pass? This is a difficult question to answer. The constellation of power played a role, as did the situation (war in planning and war); one key were determined perpetrators and willing helpers and finally, enough people who allowed the murder of disabled people (acts which were also murder under the German penal code at the time!). And of course a certain ideology also had to prevail. But this ideology was not born with the National Socialist takeover of power. This book, based on more than ten years of intensive research, therefore examines not only National Socialist euthanasia itself (with a special focus on the child and youth euthanasia program – the so called Reich committee procedure), but also the history leading up to it, in particular the history of the idea of “the destruction of life unworthy of life” beginning around 1870 (with special reference to Haeckel, Tille, Ploetz, Nietzsche and Binding / Hoche).