Lebensborn

{{Heinrich Himmler series|expanded=Organizations}}{{Nazism sidebar}}{{Eugenics sidebar}}

{{Heinrich Himmler series|expanded=Organizations}}{{Nazism sidebar}}{{Eugenics sidebar}}

'''''Lebensborn [[Registered association (Germany)|e.V.]]''''' '' IPA : [ˈleɪbənzˌbɔːrn], German : [ˈleːbənsˌbɔʁn] '' (literally: "Fount of Life") was a secret, [[Schutzstaffel|SS]]-initiated, [[State (polity)|state]]-registered association in [[Nazi Germany]] with the stated goal of increasing the number of children born who met the Nazi standards of "racially pure" and "healthy" [[Aryan race|Aryan]]s, based on [[Nazi eugenics]] (also called "[[racial hygiene]]" by some [[eugenicists]]). ''Lebensborn'' was established by [[Heinrich Himmler]], and provided welfare to its mostly unmarried mothers, encouraged anonymous births by unmarried women at their maternity homes, and mediated [[adoption]] of children by likewise "racially pure" and "healthy" parents, particularly SS members and their families. The [[Cross of Honour of the German Mother]] was given to the women who bore the most [[Aryan race|Aryan]] children.

'''''Lebensborn e.V.''''' ({{IPA|en|ˈleɪbənzˌbɔːrn}}, {{IPA|de|ˈleːbənsˌbɔʁn}}, {{Literal translation|Fount of Life}}) was a secret, [[Schutzstaffel|SS]]-initiated, state-registered association in [[Nazi Germany]] with the stated goal of increasing the number of children born who met the Nazi standards of "racially pure" and "healthy" [[Aryan race|Aryan]]s, based on [[Nazi eugenics]] (also called "[[racial hygiene]]" by some [[eugenicists]]). ''Lebensborn'' was established by [[Heinrich Himmler]], and provided welfare to its mostly unmarried mothers, encouraged anonymous births by unmarried women at their maternity homes, and mediated [[adoption]] of children by likewise "racially pure" and "healthy" parents, particularly SS members and their families. The [[Cross of Honour of the German Mother]] was given to the women who bore the most Aryan children.

Set up in Germany in 1935, ''Lebensborn'' expanded into several occupied European countries with [[Germanic peoples|Germanic populations]] during the [[Second World War|World War II]]. It included the selection of "racially worthy" orphans for adoption and care for children born from Aryan women who had been in relationships with SS members. It originally excluded children born from unions between common soldiers and foreign women, because there was no proof of "[[racial purity]]" on both sides. During the war, many children were kidnapped from their parents and judged by Aryan criteria for their suitability to be raised in ''Lebensborn'' homes, and fostered by German families.

Set up in Germany in 1935, ''Lebensborn'' expanded into several occupied European countries with [[Germanic peoples|Germanic populations]] during the [[Second World War|World War II]]. It included the selection of "racially worthy" orphans for adoption and care for children born from Aryan women who had been in relationships with SS members. It originally excluded children born from unions between common soldiers and foreign women, because there was no proof of "[[racial purity]]" on both sides. During the war, many children were kidnapped from their parents and judged by Aryan criteria for their suitability to be raised in ''Lebensborn'' homes, and fostered by German families.