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# Operation »T4«
»Wild Euthanasia«
Resistance
After 1945
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In October 1939 the program for the killing of mentally and physically handicapped adults was launched, based on an »authorization« by Hitler backdated 1 Sep-tember 1939. Within this framework (named »T4« based on the address Berlin, Tiergartenstraße 4), more than 70,000 institutionalized patients in the German Reich were murdered in six euthanasia-clinics –  a.o. in the Hartheim castle near Linz, where 18,269 people perished. The victims were selected by »experts« based on questionnaires. After the official end of Operation »T4« in August 1941, between 8000 and 10,000 concentration camp inmates from Dachau, Maut-hausen, and Gusen (Aktion »14f13«) as well as several hundreds of »Ostarbeiter« no longer fit for work were killed in Hartheim in 1941/42 and in 1944. Part of the staff of the euthanasia-clinics were employed in »Operation Reinhard,« the killing of the Jews in the »General Gouvernement« (Poland).


 

 
Hartheim
» click see larger image


The exterminatory institution Schloss Hartheim, with smoking chimney. This photo was taken secretly by Karl Schuhmann in 1940.

Extract from the »Hartheim Statistik« Transport list
Gekrat« bus Letter of condolence
Death certificate Enabling act signed by Hitler
Rudolf Lonauer and his family Benedikt Fantner
Franz Stangl

Operation »T4« (Aktion »T4«)