The Forum invited experts on the history of the Second World War, the Holocaust, and Nazi euthanasia to answer question about mass violence against patients in psychiatric clinics in Eastern Europe and about decision-making and participation in this crime by various groups. The authors generally agree with the thesis that events proceeded erratically and that there was no central program for killing in the abovementioned territories; they also note the different degrees to which local medical personnel was involved, from risky rescue operations to direct participation in the murders. In addition, both parallels and differences are highlighted regarding the implementation of the Т4 program in Germany and the killing operations of patients in Eastern Europe. In part, the motivations and killing methods are similar to the forced euthanasia carried out in Germany. However, in contrast to the T4 program in Germany, which was organized and conducted by medical personnel, in Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Belarus, and Poland) the violence against patients was perpetrated by Einsatzgruppen, the Wehrmacht, and the military administration. Moreover, the killings are characterized as being pragmatic, governed not so much by “racial hygiene” as by the logic of emptying premises and disposing of “superfluous eaters.” The forum participants also note that from an organizational, personnel, and chronological point of view the killing of patients in Eastern Europe can be considered as a step towards the Holocaust.
A Wed, study studied this question.