Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring

Reichsgesetzblatt_25_Juli_1933

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Reichstag
Citation
Territorial extent
Considered by
Enacted by	Reichstag
Passed
Enacted	July 14, 1933
Considered by
Enacted by

The Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring (German: Gesetz zur Verhütung erbkranken Nachwuchses ) was a statute in Nazi Germany enacted on July 14, 1933, which mandated the compulsory sterilization of individuals deemed to have genetic disorders. The law was part of the eugenics policies of the Nazi Party and aimed to improve the genetic quality of the German people.

Provisions

The law identified several conditions that warranted sterilization, including:

• Congenital mental retardation
• Schizophrenia
• Manic-depressive illness
• Genetic epilepsy
• Huntington's chorea
• Hereditary blindness
• Hereditary deafness
• Severe physical deformity
• Severe alcoholism

The law established Genetic Health Courts (Erbgesundheitsgerichte) to review cases and make decisions regarding sterilization. These courts were composed of a judge, a medical officer, and a genetic health expert.

Implementation

The law came into effect on January 1, 1934. It led to the sterilization of approximately 400,000 individuals by the end of World War II. The implementation of the law was part of the broader Nazi eugenics program, which also included the T4 Program and other measures aimed at eliminating those deemed "unfit" from the Aryan race.

Historical Context

The law was influenced by earlier eugenics movements in countries such as the United States and Sweden. However, the Nazi regime's application of eugenics was more extreme and was part of their broader racial hygiene policies.

Repeal

The law was repealed after the fall of the Nazi regime in 1945. The Nuremberg Trials condemned the eugenics policies of the Nazis, and the law was recognized as a violation of human rights.

See also

• Eugenics
• Nazi eugenics
• T4 Program
• Nuremberg Trials
• Racial hygiene

Related Pages

• Nazi Germany
• Reichstag (Weimar Republic)
• Sterilization
• Genetic Health Courts
• Aryan race
• Nuremberg Trials