The Cruelty of the Lebensborn Program

Introduction

The Holocaust is one of the most traumatic and terrible chapters in human history. The policy of Nazi Germany was the result of many psychological issues of many generations, divided families, and left a big mark in history. One of the significant parts of this period is the Lebensborn program, which was held in Germany from 1935 until the end of World War II. The main goal of this Nazi initiative was to cultivate the Aryan race to increase the followers and adherents of Adolf Hitler. The ruthless and barbaric program was the result of long-term consequences for the people affected by it, some of whom never received the proper end and resolution. It was reflected in the relationship between men and women, the psychological state of the raised and abducted children and mothers, who were used as a tool for the SS Party. The Lebensborn program was an extremely cruel propaganda of the ideology of Nazi Germany, which negatively affected the women and children who became its victims.

What was the Lebensborn Program?

First of all, it is necessary to gain an understanding of what the program under study was. Lebensborn was a program initiated by the national German Workers’ Party, Schutzstaffel or SS. According to the translation from German, “Fount of Life,” its main task was to cultivate a new pure Aryan race in fascist Germany¹. Initially, party leaders directed their activities to the creation of special Mother and Child homes, which served to strengthen German demographic policy. Therefore, the main problem that this program was supposed to solve was a decrease in population growth due to the prevalence of abortions and a low birth rate in the country. The Third Reich was concerned about this circumstance and aimed at increasing the future followers of Hitler and Nazi ideology.

Heinrich Himmler was the leading promoter of the Lebensborn program. In 1935, after the official registration of the program, active actions began to attract unmarried women who were placed in specialized institutions for the birth of children. The main criterion was the conformity of Nazi racial hygiene and the ideology of health and external characteristics of the expectant mother. Thus, the main criteria were the presence of blond hair and skin, blue eyes, and adherence to the ideology promoted in Nazi Germany². Often, women entering these homes were lonely, which contributed to an increase in anonymous childbirth. It is important to note that women often did not get the opportunity to leave children and were used as a tool for childbirth. The newborns, in turn, were adopted by a strictly pure Aryan family.

The rules regarding unclean children were cruel, that is, those who did not meet the necessary characteristics of the SS. Furthermore, Germany specifically introduced legislation that allowed abortions at the risk of having disabled children since it was believed that they would not meet the requirements of the true leaders of Nazi Germany. Moreover, children who did not fit the Aryan features were sent to concentration camps or severely killed³⁴. Thus, the Lebensborn program represented the extreme insanity and absurdity of the policies of the SS Party, which served to destroy the destinies of many innocent people and children.

Making the German Nation

The Lebensborn program, in addition to the birth and nurturing of a new Aryan race, was engaged in many other activities. Thus, the activities of this initiative also included the kidnapping of children. These children were not newborns from the homes of Mother and child but those children who were abducted from other countries. Like everyone else, they had to meet the criteria of Aryan appearance. The primary source was the countries occupied by Germany, especially those where the population was most similar to the Germans. After the abduction, the children were sent to specialized organizations that were engaged in re-education according to the norms and rules of the Nazis. Mothers and fathers of children were often either sent to concentration camps or shot if they were suspected of helping the partisans.

Special attention should be paid to the procedures of the so-called baptism, which the abducted children underwent. It consisted in the appointment of German first and last names, which gave the way to becoming a full-fledged member of the SS Party. In addition, “representatives of the health authorities conducted medical examinations of them, filtered out the children with “good blood””⁵. Thus, the Government believed that the renaming of children would help strengthen the connection between them and the prevailing ideology in the country. Therefore, the children were deprived of their innate identity to the people in which they were born and grew up, which later caused a personal crisis among the victims of this regime. An example would be one of the famous victims of the program, Hermann Lüdeking, who is already at a conscious age “still suffers from not knowing who his parents are”⁶. This also had a greater impact on the self-determination and identity of a man, since he was raised according to the principles of Nazi Germany, he struggles in accepting his true culture.

Another aspect of the SS Party’s activities in the abduction of children was to conduct their distribution. As mentioned earlier, the children who most corresponded to the external characteristics of the pure German race were selected. Thus, children who were considered racially inferior were sent to special camps where they had to work a lot and they suffered from hunger and poor living conditions. Those who managed to pass the selection after ideological education were sent to families that were assigned to each child in advance. Research stated that “in 1946, it was estimated that more than 250,000 were kidnapped and sent by force to Germany”⁷. This provides an understanding of the scale of the Lebensborn program, which used women to their advantage and stole children from the occupying countries to create a new German nation.

Lebensborn Mothers

Another aspect that is important to consider is the treatment and conditions in which the future mothers of children were kept for the SS Party. Women who were selected to participate in the program were placed in Mother and Child homes. Research pointed out that “of all the women who applied, only 40 percent passed the racial purity test and were granted admission to the Lebensborn program”⁸. This shows that people themselves took the initiative to be placed in these institutions. Moreover, “the majority of mothers were unmarried, 57.6 percent until 1939, and about 70 percent by 1940”⁹. Thus, it shows the number of the female population who supported the SS party and the hateful ideology prevailing in the country.

First of all, women were subjected to a severe medical examination to confirm their belonging to a pure race. The absence of diseases or any genetic abnormalities was a mandatory criterion for the participants of the program. After being placed in the Mother and Child’s home, the women took specialized courses that were aimed at uniting the formed team. They were also provided with conditions for a comfortable life and a successful pregnancy. However, many expectant mothers complained about inappropriate conditions and a large number of conflicts between women. In addition, many women felt a sense of special privilege because of the fulfillment of this valuable mission for Germany. Therefore, it also became the result of multiple stressful situations and misunderstandings between residents and staff. In addition to the residents of the houses, the future wives of SS officers also took courses.

The first institution that was created under the Lebensborn program was an organization in Steinhoering, not far from Munich. Subsequently, similar houses were opened in Germany and in such occupied countries as Norway, Austria, Holland, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Denmark. The provision of furniture and other necessary appliances was carried out at the expense of the looted houses of Jews who were expelled from their own homes and sent to concentration camps.

The main controversy that was associated with women who wanted to contribute to the development of the country was the confrontation of morality. Thus, society did not accept the birth of children out of wedlock, which was reproached and not encouraged by people. Despite this, Hitler never directly addressed these issues, which contributed to the jamming of this aspect. Moreover, some parts of society, which were particularly ardent in favor of preserving the purity of the race, negatively perceived the initiative to take non-German mothers into the homes of Mothers and Children. Henceforth, the program negatively affected both women who wanted to contribute to the SS Party initiative and women who unwillingly became part of it.

Relationship during the Lebensborn Program

In addition to children, it is necessary to pay attention to romantic relationships that occurred during the Lebensborn program. The research paper by Caroline Nilsen “Romance, marriage, and the Lebensborn program” talks about the relationship between men and women when the German army conquered Norway in 1940¹⁰. The author says that due to a sense of privilege due to the attitude towards the German population, many employees considered themselves genetically desirable fathers of future children. This can be explained with the help of the Nazi racial theory, which perceived the Nazis as the dominant race. Research underlined that they “viewed the mentally ill and physically handicapped as blemishes upon the genetic landscape and believed that if the handicapped were permitted to reproduce, they would constitute a biological danger to the purity of the “Aryan” race”¹¹. Thus, the German government, according to its demographic policy, allowed the conception of children with Norwegian women.

Further, during the entire duration of the program, German soldiers actively acted in the interests of the country. Nilsen (2019) writes that “by the end of the war, between ten and twelve thousand children would be fathered by Germans stationed in Norway”¹². In addition, it emphasizes reality, which in many ways did not correspond to the reality propagandized at that time. This follows from the fact that situations of uncoordinated sexual interaction could arise, which could result in a traumatic experience for women. Moreover, some Norwegian women unwillingly became wives of German officers. Germany’s propaganda regarding the birth of pure children also contributed to the formation of certain ideas about romantic relationships between people. However, they were often not justified and prevented the formation of full-fledged and organic ties. Despite the promotion of the need to build relationships with German officers as the best candidates for having children, the relationship between men and women experienced negative transflormation during the Lebensborn program.

The End of the Lebensborn Program

Despite the short duration of the SS Party initiative, its consequences had a long-term effect for all involved. The end of the Lebensborn program occurred after the end of World War II, but at the same time, the aftermath continues for many involved in it to this day. Firstly, many women who gave birth to future Aryans in the homes of Mothers and Children did not have the proper respect that parties promised them. Thus, they were used as a tool within demographic policy and were abandoned after the closure of the program. This was a consequence of the traumatic experience for women, also due to the fact that society did not accept them. This was due to the spread of the opinion that they adhered to Nazi traumatic ideologies. These hateful attitudes towards women were also broadcast to the children they gave birth to. This was regardless of whether they got into the program at will or not. These members of society have long been regarded as fascists whose worldview cannot be transformed.

The program had a particularly negative impact on children who were stolen from their families for re-education into true Aryans. The criticality is the fact that, to this day, there is no accurate information regarding how many children were abducted by the German army¹³. According to official documents of the salvation Army, about 25,000 were retrieved after the war and sent back to their families¹⁴. The problem was that many families refused to give up the children they had raised for many years because of the formation of ties with them. On the other hand, it was difficult for children to adapt to new living conditions. Thus, they had difficulty separating from the people they grew up with.

Moreover, the younger generation was subjected to stress due to the identity crisis. This was due to the fact that during the Lebensborn program, German ideology was imposed on children. Nevertheless, when they got into their native families, they had to rebuild and learn new ideologies and values. This circumstance contributed to the fact that the children themselves refused to leave the families in which they were placed. At the same time, it was an extremely devastating fact that many children suffered a terrible fate. Due to the fact that they were not recognized as suitable for Germanization, they were sent to concentration camps, where their lives ended after a reasonably short time.

After the end of hostilities, specialized services and military occupation administrations took over the rescue. Thus, they assumed responsibility for the return of children to the countries from which they were once abducted. The difficulty was that the German management of the Lebensborn program destroyed all the documents that could trace the actual origin of the children’s families¹⁵. Hence, many have been orphaned, for whom it is necessary to find a new home while caring for their cultural and national background. Growing up into adults, the children of the Lebensborn program experienced difficulties in obtaining further education and work.

Due to the persistent opinion that the children of the Lebensborn program cannot be changed regarding ideological worldviews, society strongly oppressed them. Thus, the children were placed in mental facilities in which they spent most of their lives undergoing specialized treatment. Those who did not get into these organizations could not cope with the traumatic experience they experienced after learning about their origin. Facing the realization of an imposed identity has proved difficult for many people. They could not gain a clear understanding of what ideology they should adhere to while realizing that the world in which they grew up is severely censured by society. For many, information about the real roots and place of birth was revealed only after many years.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Lebensborn program was one of the cruelest and most traumatic initiatives of the SS Party. Wanting to increase the followers of Adolf Hitler’s ideology, the Germans created specialized institutions in which women with pure Aryan appearance were selected. In the future, they also included women from occupied cities who met the necessary criteria. The women were trained and cared for so that they could give birth to future Aryans. Children raised under the program of the SS Party were given to the families of German officers and received German names and surnames. After the end of the World War II, many affected children who were stolen from their occupied countries could not be returned to their families due to the lack of documents about their origin. The Lebensborn program caused a traumatic experience for multiple generations, led to the death of many innocent children, and had a significant contribution to the relationships between women and men of that time.

Bibliography

Aas, Steinar. “STRATIGAKOS, Despina. Hitler’s Northern Utopia. Building the New Order in Occupied Norway. Princeton; Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2020, 351 pp. ISBN 978-0-691-21090-2.” The City and History (Mesto a dejiny until 2019) 10, no. 1 (2021): 136-138.

Fritzsche, Peter. Life and Death in the Third Reich. Harvard: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press, 2009.

“Lebensborn-breeding the Aryan race,” History of Sorts. Web.

Martin, Kevin. 2021. “Lebensborn: The Nazi’s Secret Sex Program to Conceive a ‘Master Race’” Magellan. Web.

Nilsen, Caroline. “Romance, marriage, and the Lebensborn program: Gendering German expectations and reality in occupied Norway.” In German-occupied Europe in the Second World War, pp. 181-194. Routledge, 2019.

Ozsvath, Zsuzsanna. When the Danube Ran Red. New York: Syracuse University Press, 2010.

“Racism and Nazi racial ideology.” The Holocaust. Web.

Sieradzka, Monika. “No compensation for Lebensborn children.” DW. Web.

Stratigakos, Despina. “Hitler’s Northern Utopia.” In Hitler’s Northern Utopia. Princeton University Press, 2020.

“The “Lebensborn”.” Jewish Generation. Web.

Valentina, Nicolae. “The Lebensborn Experiment. Traces of an Unfulfilled Ideology.” Studii Juridice şi Administrative 18, no. 1 (2018): 135-145.

Footnotes

1. Valentina, Nicolae. “The Lebensborn Experiment. Traces of an Unfulfilled Ideology.” Studii Juridice şi Administrative 18, no. 1 (2018): 135-145.
2. Fritzsche, Peter. Life and Death in the Third Reich. Harvard: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press, 2009.
3. Stratigakos, Despina. “Hitler’s Northern Utopia.” In Hitler’s Northern Utopia. Princeton University Press, 2020.
4. Ozsvath, Zsuzsanna. When the Danube Ran Red. New York: Syracuse University Press, 2010.
5. Sieradzka, Monika. “No compensation for Lebensborn children.” DW. Web.
6. Sieradzka, Monika. “No compensation for Lebensborn children.” DW. Web.
7. “The “Lebensborn”.” Jewish Generation, Web.
8. “Lebensborn-breeding the Aryan race,” History of Sorts, Web.
9. “Lebensborn-breeding the Aryan race,” History of Sorts, Web.
10. Nilsen, Caroline. “Romance, marriage, and the Lebensborn program: Gendering German expectations and reality in occupied Norway.” In German-occupied Europe in the Second World War, pp. 181-194. Routledge, 2019.
11. “Racism and Nazi racial ideology.” The Holocaust, Web.
12. Nilsen, Caroline. “Romance, marriage, and the Lebensborn program: Gendering German expectations and reality in occupied Norway.” In German-occupied Europe in the Second World War, pp. 181-194. Routledge, 2019.
13. Martin, Kevin. 2021. “Lebensborn: The Nazi’s Secret Sex Program to Conceive a ‘Master Race’” Magellan. Web.
14. Aas, Steinar. “STRATIGAKOS, Despina. Hitler’s Northern Utopia. Building the New Order in Occupied Norway. Princeton; Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2020, 351 pp. ISBN 978-0-691-21090-2.” The City and History (Mesto a dejiny until 2019) 10, no. 1 (2021): 136-138.
15. Aas, Steinar. “STRATIGAKOS, Despina. Hitler’s Northern Utopia. Building the New Order in Occupied Norway. Princeton; Oxford: Princeton University Press, 2020, 351 pp. ISBN 978-0-691-21090-2.” The City and History (Mesto a dejiny until 2019) 10, no. 1 (2021): 136-138.