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Sydney Floyd
Ms. O’kon
English IV Honors
6 March, 2015
The Lebensborn Project In 1984, the inner party, which are the ones who make policies, decisions, and govern are very similar to Lebensborn children in the way they were looked at by the people that surrounded them. The Inner Party is known as “The Party” and are the upper class. They have privileges that the other party’s do not have. Just like the party Lebensborn children are seen as special and above others; they are also known as the "superior children". From birth everything was taken care of for them. Which also makes them similar to the inner party, who had their own personal servants. Lebensborn children received special nutrition and an education which reflected the Nazi way of thinking. To be a part of Lebensborn people had to meet the racial requirements. Although, the inner party was not determined by race, the only way someone could be an inner party member was if they were born one. Both the inner party and Lebensborn children were set apart and considered better than other parts of society in some way which is what makes them similar. Lebensborn, which means the fountain of life, was one of the most secret Nazi projects. It was founded by Heinrish Himmler on December 12, 1935 (Larry V. Thompson). Himmler established the Schutzstaffel (SS), which is German for Protection Squadron. SS units served as
Floyd 2 bodyguards for Hitler and other Nazi leaders. By the mid-1930’s it had become a political and military force of more than 200,000 members (Zapotoczny, Jr.). For decades Germany’s birth rate was decreasing, and Himmler’s goal was to reverse the decline (War history online). Himmler encouraged the SS officers to have children with Aryan women. He believed the children would lead a Nazi-Aryan nation. The purpose of the Lebensborn society was to offer young girls who were racially pure the possibility to give birth to a child in secret. To be considered racially pure family lineage had to be traced back at least three generations, and blond hair and blue eyes were preferred (War history online). Out of all the women who applied only 40% passed the test and were admitted into the Lebensborn program. Early on, Himmler issued a proclamation that every SS solider should father a child before leaving for war. Then the child could be born and raised at the Lebensborn facilities. This proclamation made the population birth rate increase (World between two wars). The first Lebensborn home was opened in 1936, in Steinhoering, Germany. It provided a home for wed, or unwed, expectant mothers to have their children in safety and comfort. The racially pure children were given to the SS organization, which took charge in the child’s education and adoption. There were approximately ten Lebensborn homes established in Germany, nine in Norway, two in Austria, and one in each Belgium, Holland, France, Luxembourg, and Denmark. Himmler took a special interest in the homes, by not only choosing the mothers, but attending to the style of the rooms and paying special attention to children born on his birthday, October 7th (War history online).
By 1939, the program still had not turned out the way Himmler hoped, so he sent out a direct order to all SS and police to father as many children as possible to counterbalance for the
Floyd 3 men killed during the war. The order wasn’t successful and Himmler started to backpedal. Soon, Lebensborn started to welcome non-German mothers. In 1942, Hitler formed a policy that German soldiers were to “mingle” with native women, and the children produced would be provided for (War history online). With all of the proclamations and policies that Himmler and Hitler created, it still did not seem to be enough. So the SS organized the kidnapping of children “racially good” in Eastern countries after 1939. Some of these children were orphans, but many were stripped away right out of their
