IN PROGRESS

THE T4 STORY

Hadamar

Grafeneck

CATHERINE MARY MACÍAS

Sonnenstein

Filmed April 9, 2006

Sonnenstein is located near Pirna in East Germany.

It was built to accommodate individuals with physical and mental disabilities. Chosen as one of the six killing sites for the T4 Program, over fifteen thousand human beings were killed in the gas chamber that was located in the basement. The victims at Sonnenstein were mostly people who had physical disabilities and they were mostly from outside institutions.

The victims were separated by gender and then led into the gas chamber. Victims who were wheelchair bound were taken out of the wheelchair and laid down on the floor of the gas chamber. About thirty people at a time were killed each night.

Although most of the victims at Sonnenstein were adults, there were many child victims included in the gassings, such as this baby boy.

Children were shuffled from place to place, from one institution to another, as a way to of delaying the parents’ knowledge of their children’s whereabouts. Once a child was murdered, a fake death certificate was issued, listing a false reason for death.

The process of deciding a cause of death for the certificate was meticulous and calculated. Minutes prior to their death, the victims were inspected by a team of doctors. Possible causes of death were discussed based on the disability and health of the victim.

For many parents it took decades to find out the true fate of their children. For many parents, the truth was never acknowledged in their lifetime.