Law for the Protection
of Hereditary Health: The Attempt
to Improve the German Aryan Breed

(July 14, 1933)

      
Article I.     (1.) Anyone who suffers from an inheritable  
                    disease may be surgically sterilized if, in  
                    the judgement of medical science, it could be
                    expected that his decendants will suffer from
                    serious inherited mental or physical defects.
               (2.) Anyone who suffers from one of the following
                    is to be regarded as inheritably diseased
                    within the meaning of this law: 
                    1.   congenital feeble-mindedness
                    2.   schizophrenia
                    3.   manic-depression
                    4.   congenital epilepsy
                    5.   inheritable St. Vitus dance
                         (Huntington's Chorea)
                    6.   hereditary blindness
                    7.   hereditary deafness
                    8.   serious inheritable malformations
               (3.) In addition, anyone suffering from chronic
                    alcoholism may also be sterilized.
 
Article II.    (1.) Anyone who requests sterilization is entitled
                    to it.  If he be incapacitated or under a
                    guardian because of low state of mental
                    health or not yet 18 years of age, his legal
                    guardian is empowered to make the request. 
                    In other cases of limited capacity the
                    request must receive the approval of the legal
                    representative.  If a person be of age and
                    has a nurse, the latter's consent is
                    required. 
               (2.) The request must be accompanied by a
                    certificate from a citizen who is accredited
                    by the German Reich stating that the person
                    to be sterilized has been informed about the
                    nature and consequence of sterilization. 
               (3.) The request for sterilization can be
                    recalled.

Article III.   Sterilization may also be recommended by:
               (1.) the official physician
               (2.) the official in charge of a hospital,
                    sanitarium, or prison.

Article IV.    The request for sterilization must be presented in
               writing to, or placed in writing by the office of
               the Health Inheritance Court.  The statement
               concerning the request must be certified by a
               medical document or authenticated in some other
               way.  The business office of the court must notify
               the official physician. 
Article VII.   The proceedings of the Health Inheritance Court
               are secret.

Article X.     The Supreme Health Insurance Court retains final
               jurisdiction.