Aktion T4 Introduction — Transcript

I never know how or where to begin. It is rare that I encounter someone—a student, a mutual academic colleague, a fellow U.S. citizen—who already knows about Aktion T4, the Nazi systematic youth euthanasia or killing program that targeted Germany's own disabled citizens throughout the earliest years of World War II. The T4 program decree was signed by Hitler in a stolen Jewish villa located at Tiergartenstraße 4 in Berlin on September 1st, 1939, which is also the day of the invasion of Poland. Throughout 1940 and 1941, this program officially killed some 7,273 patients in six psychiatric institutions throughout the state. These 70,000 deaths occurred directly at the hands of the institution's doctors and nurses themselves. The killing was carried out through the use of newly developed gas chamber crematoria technologies that then, because they were so successfully deployed in the T4 program, also became the foundation for the Nazis' Final Solution in the death camps. At present count, another estimated 200,000 patients in Germany's psychiatric institutions were also more covertly killed throughout World War II and after the close of the T4 program in late 1941. These additional patients, or rather these victims, were murdered in what had been called the Wild euthanasia period through the systematic application of drug overdoses and starvation. For example, a special hunger diet was devised by their caretakers, and this was systematically carried out on the patients. I never know how or where to begin. The ways of being and thinking that produce something like the Aktion T4 program are remarkably complex, entangled, and both logically and emotionally difficult to sort through. The logic of the arguments that engender T4 is an exercise in the understanding of, and yet the gross abuse of, a thing called logic. It is also, and always, intense emotional and intricate emotional work. I never know how, but I must begin. I must tell the stories—logical, illogical, ethical, unethical, emotional, and impassive—about Aktion T4. This blog is an exploration into the Nazis' Aktion T4 program through a physical, real-time, archival, textual, emotional, and ethical grappling with the materials I have gathered over a 10-year period. At its heart, this blog is based on two actual field trips I took to T4 euthanasia program memorial sites and the psychiatric killing centers in 2004 and 2013, respectively. My goal is to excavate, educate, and provide further commentary on the who, what, where, when, why, and how of the Aktion T4 program. This blog is, and it will remain, very much in progress, and as such, I genuinely welcome any thoughts, feedback, or further information you might have. Please leave your comments at the blog itself or contact me at the link provided on the site.

disabled citizens throughout the earliest years of World War II the T4 program decree was signed by Hitler in a stolen Jewish V located at tarten stasa 4 in Berlin on September 1st 1939 which is also the day of the

invasion of Poland throughout 1940 and 1941 this program officially killed some 7,273 patients in six psychiatric institutions throughout the state these 70,000 deaths occurred directly at the hands of the institution's doctors and nurses themselves The Killing was carried out through the

use of newly developed gas chamber crematoria technologies that then because they were so successfully deployed in the T4 program also became the foundation for the Nazis Final Solution in the death camps at present count another estimated 200,000 patients in Germany psychiatric

institution were also more converted killed throughout World War II and after the close of the T4 program in late 1941 these additional patients or rather these victims were murdered and what had been called The Wild euthanasia period through the systematic application of

drug overdoses and starvation for example a special hunger diet was devised by their caretakers and this was systematically carried out on the patients I never know how or where to begin the ways of being and thinking that produce something like the axio and T4

program are remarkably complex entangled and both logically and emotionally difficult to sort through the logic of the arguments that in gender T4 is an exercise in the understanding of and yet to the gross abuse of a thing called

logic it is also and always intense emotional and intricate emot work I never know how but I must begin I must tell the stories logical illogical ethical unethical emotional and impassive about Aion T4 this blog is an exploration into the

Nazis action T4 program through a physical real time archival textual emotional and ethical grappling with the materials I have gathered over a 10-year period at its heart this blog is based on two actual field trips I took to T4

euthanasia program Memorial sites and the psychiatric killing centers in 2004 and 2013 respectively my goal is to excavate educate and provide further commentary on the who what where when why and how of the Exon T4 program this blog is and

it will remain very much in progress and as such I genuinely welcome any thoughts feedback or further information you might have please leave your comments at the blog itself or contact me at the link provided on the site