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Order to Reichsleiter Bouhler and Dr. Brandt authorizing a program of "mercy killing" of incurable persons

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Authors

Adolf Hitler (Fuehrer, Reich Chancellor, Supeme Commander of Wehrmacht)

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Adolf Hitler

Austrian nationalized German politician, leader of the National Socialist party and dictator of Germany (1889-1945)

Image of Adolf Hitler
  • Born: 1889-01-01 1889-04-20 (Braunau am Inn) (country: Austria-Hungary; located in the administrative territorial entity: Archduchy of Austria above the Enns; statement is subject of: Adolf-Hitler-Geburtshaus)
  • Died: 1945-04-30 (Berlin Führerbunker) (country: Nazi Germany; located in the administrative territorial entity: Berlin; statement is subject of: death of Adolf Hitler)
  • Country of citizenship: Cisleithania (period: 1889-04-20 through 1918-11-11); First Republic of Austria (period: 1919-01-01 through 1925-04-30); Nazi Germany (end cause: death of Adolf Hitler; period: 1933-01-30 through 1945-04-30); Republic of German-Austria (period: 1918-01-01 through 1919-01-01)
  • Occupation: painter (statement is subject of: paintings by Adolf Hitler); political writer; politician (reason for preferred rank: generally used form); soldier
  • Member of political party: German Workers' Party (period: 1919-09-12 through 1921-07-11); Nazi Party (series ordinal: 556)
  • Member of: Nazi Party
  • Participant in: Aktion T4; Beer Hall Putsch; The Holocaust; ethnic cleansing
  • Significant person: Albert Speer; Benito Mussolini; Eva Braun; Joseph Stalin

Date: 01 September 1939

Total Pages: 1

Language of Text: English

Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)

Evidence Code: PS-630

Citation: NMT 3 (page 2693)

HLSL Item No.: 6427

Notes:A note indicates that the order was passed on to Dr. Guertner, Minister of Justice, on 27 August 1940.

Trial Issue

Euthanasia program (Action 14 f 13) (IMT, NMT 1, 3, 4)

Document Summary

Staff Evidence Analyses

PS-630: Hitler's Order introducing mercy killings

Red Series Doc Descriptions

PS-630: Order by Hitler to Reichsleiter Bouhler and Dr Brandt, 1 September 1939, to authorize certain doctors to carry out "mercy-killings" on incurables

Doc Book Tables of Contents

PS-630: Order giving Bouhler and Brandt responsibility for carrying out program of mercy killings.

[On letterhead A. Hitler]
Berlin 1 Sept 1939
Reichsleiter Bouhler and Dr. Brandt, M.D.
are charged with the responsibility of enlarging the authority of certain physicians to be designated by name in such a manner that persons who, according to human judgment, are incurable can, upon a most careful diagnosis of their condition of sickness, be accorded a mercy death.
signed: A. HITLER
[Handwritten note]
Given to me by Bouhler on 2-7 August 1940 signed: Dr. Guertner III a 3/41 g Rs /
451

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