Birth Politics in the Third Reich

Berkers, Angeniet | Hardback | 26-11-2024 | 9789083357164

On 12 December 1935, a programme was started in Germany to provide the Third Reich with a new generation of leaders: Lebensborn (Source of Life). SS officers were encouraged to reproduce as much as possible, including out of wedlock. In several Lebensborn homes scattered across West-Europe, (unmarried) women could give birth if they met the requirements of the Aryan race. After the war, the children from these homes and families were often stigmatised, mistreated, and abused. Many grew up with secrets. Lebensborn tells the compelling story of this particular history, focusing on the major events, but especially on the personal consequences for those involved.