1. HIST3025 Hitler and the National Socialist Ideology Lecture 9: Eugenics 25 April 2013

2. Eugenics Social philosophy / applied science of Francis Galton (1822-1911), cousin of Charles Darwin: Aim: Improvement of human hereditary traits by applying theory of evolution to humans Means: Promotion of higher reproduction of more desired people & traits Reducing reproduction of less desired people & traits

3. Eugenics in practice, c. 1900-45 Genetic screening Birth control Promoting differential birth rates Marriage restrictions Racial segregation Segregation of mentally ill from other people Compulsory sterilisation Forced pregnancies & abortions Genocide

4. Eugenics in Mein Kampf Seemingly traditional-conservative visions of family  Some overlaps with German conservatism  Completely incompatible with Christian theology: Conception & birth as God-given gifts Equal sanctity of all human life incl. handicapped or ill people Equal value of all humanity before God

5. Hitler’s main eugenic idea Rejected liberal idea of family & children as only private fulfilment (= egoism) Saw family & children as property of race Healthy people obliged to produce large families for needs of race State with absolute right & central role to promote reproductive behaviour = Totalitarian idea of regulating reproduction patterns of all its individual citizens

6. State’s role in Hitler’s eugenics Key role for propaganda & educational work Active agent for social & racial engineering Positive eugenics = pro-natalist policy: → Practical medical & welfare measures Negative eugenics = anti-natalist policy: → Sterilisation & other cleansing measures

7. Hitler’s eugenicist vision Building a modern racist state Regenerating the race Using state’s medical & administrative measures to forcibly intervene in people’s reproductive lives Integrating racially ‘valuable’ in ‘people’s community’ Sterilizing/eradicating racially ‘inferior’ = Totalitarian, radical, aggressive Fascist thoughts

8. Eugenics in Third Reich (1) Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring (Jul 1933): → Formalised state’s right to forcibly sterilise any allegedly hereditary ill person = Anti-natalist campaign: Massive program of forced sterilisation of ca. 350,000 women & men = Pro-natalist campaign: Measure to persuade ‘suitable’ families to have more children

9. Eugenics in Third Reich (2) Euthanasia program (‘good death’): Neglect of physically & mentally ill children and adults in German hospitals & asylums Widespread practice of ‘mercy killing’ State-sanctioned policy of mass murder =70,000 victims Paved way for Holocaust by lowering moral standards