[Medical thinking and ways of acting in national socialism]

The historical background of the legislative measures to purify the Germanic race and the "practical measures to strengthen the German people" is the biologistic way of thinking in the 19th century. This evolved from Darwinism, leading to the so-called Social Darwinism. Its final consequence was the murdering of "inferior" human beings, which included murdering mentally ill and mentally retarded people. The latter is extensively described in recent literature and is usually considered as a specifically National Socialist or psychiatric action. These view points are discussed, and the literature on this subject is thoroughly reviewed.