Remembering the ‘unwanted’ victims: initiatives to memorialize the National Socialist euthanasia program in Germany

Between 1939 and 1945, approximately 200,000 patients were murdered under the National Socialist euthanasia program in Germany and Austria. For many years, these victims were largely excluded from post-war commemorative culture and they are yet to attain legal equality with the victims of political or racial persecution. This article considers recent initiatives to commemorate the victims of euthanasia, focusing on three examples: 1) the national memorial and information point for the victims of National Socialist “euthanasia” killings in Berlin; 2) the web portal http://www.gedenkort-t4.eu” www.gedenkort-t4.eu; and 3) the national competition “Andersartig Gedenken”, which invited young Germans to design their own memorial.