Life unworthy of life – eugenics of “deteriorated” people in the Third Reich

Abstract

The Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring was enacted as early as in 1933. Based on that law, people with mental or physical disabilities got deprived of their lives. The ones in question were frequently the patients of social welfare facilities run by Catholic or Evangelical churches. Therefore, the confrontation between Christian churches and the Nazi regime became inevitable. The Roman Catholic Church condemned the Nazi program of eugenics, based on the Casti Connubi Encyclic. Evangelical churches, however, did not come to the common ground and there were only isolated pastors who protested against the idea.

Key words: Nazi Germany, Eugenics, Politics, Christian Churches, Extermination.