By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The Polish arm of the Center of Bio-Ethical Reform in Poland may soon launch a billboard compaign to inform the public that abortion for Polish women was introduced by Adolf Hitler in 1943.
Writing on her blog, well-known pro-life leader Jill Stanek says the billboard campaign may come just in time for the March 8 celebration of Polish feminists who organize marches on that day to demand abortion without limits. It would be displayed in the center of the city of Poznan and alert the public to the true history of abortion in Poland.
Stanek cites various sources proving that Hitler was a big supporter of abortion. He was also the first major Western leader to allow abortion for reasons of the stress of the mother.
“His idea was to limit the growth of populations (lessen them, actually) in the Eastern territories where he wanted the German empire to expand – while increasing pregnancies and births to ‘Aryan’ couples,” Stanek writes.
In view of the large families of the native populations, Hitler asserted, “it could only suit us if girls and women there had as many abortions as possible.”
As for anyone who attempted to forbid abortion, Hitler promised to “personally shoot” any “such idiot” in the occupied Eastern territories.
Stanek also cites the writings of Israeli doctor Tessa Chelouche who did a major academic study on this subject, entitled “Doctors, Pregnancy, Childbirth and Abortion during the Third Reich.”
“Abortion was used as a weapon of mass destruction in Eastern Europe,” Chelouche wrote, “where it has been estimated that tens of thousands of Polish and Russian women were compelled to abort not because of health reasons, but because of Nazi dogma.”
Stanek also cites a statement made by Hitler in 1942 about making abortion widely available and compelling doctors to perform them irregardless of their professional ethics.
” . . . We are not interested in seeing the non-German population multiply…. We must use every means to instill in the population the idea that it is harmful to have several children, the expenses that they cause and the dangerous effect on woman’s health…. It will be necessary to open special institutions for abortions and doctors must be able to help out there in case there is any question of this being a breach of their professional ethics.”
To read Jill’s blog, visit http://www.jillstanek.com/archives/2010/02/new_billboard_h.html
