IN PROGRESS

Over 9,000 human beings of all ages were murdered at Bernburg Psychiatric Institute.

At Bernburg the process of execution was streamlined and quick. Victims were off the bus and into the gas chamber within 15 minutes. They were rushed through the hallway, shuffled through the inspection room, and then quickly led to the basement. Victims in wheelchairs were rolled into the chamber, lifted out of the chair, and placed on the ground.  60 people at a time… children, men, and woman… were shoved into the gas chamber. Told they were taking a shower, many knew their lives were about to end.

The victims’ screams could be heard as they suffered for up to 20 minutes in the death chamber. A former secretary, who worked in an office across the way, said she could hear the screams as if they were coming from next door.

The photo to the left shows the view box looking into the chamber, while that on the right shows the same window looking out from inside of the chamber.  The doctors and nurses would observe the murder of the victims, they claimed, as a way to determine when they could reopen the chamber.

Once killed and once the chamber has been aired out, the victims were dragged on the floor on the path shown in the photo. They were taken to be cremated at the end of the hallway. 

The Institute is still open for the care of individuals with mental illnesses & disabilities, but the area where T4 operated is now reserved as a memorial. This is an elementary school activity that was done by local students, that has names and ages of victims listed on a green felt board