Hereditary Health Court

The Erbgesundheitsgerichte were introduced by the Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring July 14, 1933 in the German Reich. They decided in externally quite shaped process on forced sterilizations (supposedly) Sick and thus were a tool for enforcement of Nazi racial hygiene, which belittled the people to mere objects of state power of disposal. To May 1945, following the decisions of the Erbgesundheitsgerichte about 350,000 people were forcibly sterilized.

Proceedings before the Erbgesundheitsgerichten

The Hereditary Health Court was at the request of " Unfruchtbarzumachenden ", his nurse or - with the approval of the guardianship court - his legal representative acting ( § 2). To submit proposals to - laws systematically subordinated, in practice, however, in the first place - even doctors and civil servants to the occupants of a hospital, medical, nursing or prison and the prison director may ( § 3).

Organizationally, the Hereditary Health Court was affiliated with the local courts. It had to be manned by a magistrate as chairman, a civil servant and another doctor approved for the German Reich doctor who had to be " particularly familiar eugenics " with the (§ 6 § 1). For the jurisdiction of the court of general jurisdiction of the (§ 5) was " Unfruchtbarzumachenden " critical. The public was not allowed in the methods of Erbgesundheitsgerichte ( § 7 para 1).

For the procedure of the Erbgesundheitsgerichten of due process principle was (§ 7 paragraph 2). The court ruled after clear conviction by a majority vote basis of oral counseling ( § 8).

Court of appeal for the decisions of the Erbgesundheitsgerichts was to be formed at the Higher Regional Court of Hereditary Health Courts. It ruled binding (§ 10 paragraph 3) on the complaints of the applicant, the doctor or the civil servant " Unfruchtbarzumachenden " ( § 9).

Abolition of court decisions (1998) and outlawing of the Law ( 2007)

The law repealing of sterilization decisions of the former Erbgesundheitsgerichte of 25 August 1998 were approved, the Erbgesundheitsgerichte who ruled a sterilization repealed. The German Bundestag has outlawed in its meeting on 24 May 2007, the Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring of 14 July 1933.