. ©MAZAL LIBRARY

NMT04-T1076


. NUERNBERG MILITARY TRIBUNAL
Volume IV · Page 1076
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may be as regards these 340 children — we have proved that there were 250 children — has been discussed in special detail before the honorable Court. In a period of war of more than 5 years duration, during which Germany and her allies had occupied almost the whole of Europe and had consequently adults and children completely in their power, in which millions of people were killed, millions of people lost their homes, Lebensborn took into its care and keeping altogether 300 children at most-and saved them. I can safely leave it to the judgment of the honorable Court as to whether even this number of 300 alone possibly justifies the theory of the prosecution as regards participation of the Lebensborn in genocide and the annihilation of foreign national minorities or whether one is not compelled to believe, in accordance with the mere common sense of the Lebensborn defense, that the Lebensborn intended to do and did something quite different with these children, namely, that it performed a work of mercy. 
 
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E. Forced Abortions    
 
I. INTRODUCTION 
 
  The defendants Greifelt, Creutz, Meyer-Hetling, Schwarzenberger, Hofmann, Hildebrandt, Schwalm, Huebner, Lorenz, and Brueckner were charged with special responsibility for and participation in criminal conduct involving abortions on foreign nationals (indictment, count one, par. 12; count two, pars. 2.4 and 25). On this charge only the defendants Hofmann and Hildebrandt were convicted.

The prosecution alleged that the Race and Resettlement Main Office played a prominent role in the accomplishment of forced abortions. The defense argued that the interruption of pregnancy of Eastern female workers was carried out only on a voluntary basis, that the Race and Settlement Main office did not participate in the procedure whatsoever, and that this office was informed for racial-political reasons only after the abortions had already been accomplished.

A short extract from the closing brief of the prosecution concerning the Race and Settlement Main Office, referring to the prohibition of abortions under German and other law, appears at page 1077. Selections from the evidence of the prosecution are set forth on pages 1077 to 1089. This is followed by an extract from the closing statement for the defendant Huebner, on page 1089, and by selections from the evidence of the defense, pages 1090 to 1100.

 
 
 
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