Involuntary Sterilization

This chapter outlines the Nazi program of involuntary sterilizationSterilization. The concept was born out of the Nazi obsession with race hygieneRace hygiene. Its aim was to prevent allegedly inferior genes from contaminating the German gene pool. A law was passed in 1933 that permitted the sterilization of men and women who were perceived to be genetically inferior. Between 300 000 and 400 000 individuals were thus sterilized against their will. About 6000 people (mostly women) died of the operations. The program was aimed at eliminating diseases, and the next horrifying step in the descent into inhumanity would eliminate the diseased.