Child Murder in Nazi Germany: The Memory of Nazi Medical Crimes and Commemoration of “Children’s Euthanasia” Victims at Two Facilities (Eichberg, Kalmenhof)

Abstract

Nazi Germany's "children's euthanasia" was a unique program in the history of mankind, seeking to realize a social Darwinist vision of a society by means of the systematic murder of disabled children and youths. Perpetrators extinguished "unworthy life" during childhood and adolescence by establishing killing stations, misleadingly labeled Kinderfachabteilungen ("special children's wards"), in existing medical or other care facilities. Part of a research project on Nazi "euthanasia" crimes and their victims, this paper uses a comparative historical perspective to trace memories of the crimes and the memorialization of their victims at the sites of two of these wards (Eichberg and Kalmenhof in Hesse, Germany). It also discusses the implications of the findings for theorizing mnemonic practices and analyzing ways in which memorials and other sites of memory deal with past trauma and atrocity.

A hidden history

“…The state of collective amnesia alluded to by Kaelber (2012) appears not to be reflected in the views and opinions of providers in this current study. Contrary to the suggestion that contemporary professionals may be reluctant to see the relevance of past events (Lagerwey, 1999), the findings of this study suggest that educational providers recognize the importance of this history, particularly in terms of preparing students for the future role they will play in protecting the human and civil rights of people with intellectual disabilities.…”

“…This lack of public acknowledgement has led some to argue that the history of eugenics is often hidden from view and that in some cases there is evidence of a very deliberate attempt to forget its legacy (Kaelber, 2012). Moreover, it has been suggested that there has been a tendency for countries to blame the Nazi state thus conveniently side stepping the issue of their own accountability (Rose cited in Kerr and Shakespeare, 2002: 46).…”

“…Furthermore, few victims of eugenic programmes have ever received any form of compensation, despite the life-changing nature of the treatment that they had endured (Braun et al, 2014), with proper national commemoration of their lives a largely recent affair (Eddy, 2014). This lack of public acknowledgement has led some to argue that the history of eugenics is often hidden from view and that in some cases there is evidence of a very deliberate attempt to forget its legacy (Kaelber, 2012). Moreover, it has been suggested that there has been a tendency for countries to blame the Nazi state thus conveniently side stepping the issue of their own accountability (Rose, undated).…”

Doświadczenia wojny a ich znaczenie w edukacji młodych pokoleń (na przykładzie zbrodni ludobójstwa popełnionej w Wąskim Lesie 12 lutego 1940 roku)

“…Niewielu z nich poniosło karę za swoje czyny (Kaelber, 2012;Rüter-Ehlermann i Rüter, 1968-1981. Co prawda tuż po zakończonej wojnie rozpoczęto ściganie eugenicznych zbrodniarzy, ale jak wynika z badań przeprowadzonych przez Michaela Bryanta, zapał do wymierzenia sprawiedliwości winnym "eutanazji" szybko ostygł, co miało związek z faktem, że nie było zgody względem jednoznaczności kwalifikacji czynów sprawców 4 .…”