It is all too easy, 80 years removed, to look at the holocaust and imagine we would never cooperate or tolerate such evil in our generation. Understanding the origins of the holocaust, the bogus science, the philosophies, the spirit of the age, helps us to understand how evil was born and established in 1930s Germany. This podcast looks at the origins of the holocaust and specifically Aktion T4.
Aktion T4 is the name given to the programs of the Nazi party that looked to deal with the problem of “burdensome lives” and “useless eaters.” These were titles given to people with special needs and disabilities that did not fit into the Nazi vision of the supreme race. Relying on the cutting edge science of the day and a worldview that placed the Nazi ideal above all else this story begins with a parent literally asking Hitler to kill his own son who was born disabled – or as the parent explains, “born a monster.”
Check These Resources Out Too
- The Popular, Successful, Horrible, True Story of the Scientific Theory of Eugenics
- Eugenic Timeline
- Euthanasia Program and Aktion T4
- People with Disabilities in the Holocaust
- Why Downs Syndrome in Iceland Has Almost Disappeared
This is part 3 in our series Never Again…Again – The Ongoing History of Genocide.
