Lecture
Breaking anonymity – Research on victims of the National socialist “euthanasia” in Pirna-Sonnenstein and Großschweidnitz

The talk will deal with the Nazi “euthanasia” programme in Saxony. Central to the research into this complex of crimes are the memorial sites in Pirna-Sonnenstein (since 2000) and Großschweidnitz (since 2023) which were both established through civil engagement. The victims of the various “euthanasia” phases have been the focus of their work. At the beginning of the research process, not even the names of the victims were known at either site. Today their names are known and biographies of the victims are an important part of exhibitions, publications and educational work. The aim of the talk is to show how both memorial sites dealt with biographies and what information can be obtained from sources such as patient files beyond the individual fates of the victims. In addition, the biographies of the victims show that not only Germans were killed in Pirna-Sonnenstein and Großschweidnitz during the “euthanasia” programme. This will be illustrated by examples of Czechoslovakian patients.

Christoph Hanzig completed a bachelor's degree in history, philosophy, and humanities, as well as a master's degree in modern/contemporary history and Saxon regional history at the TU Dresden. Since 2023, he is working as an education coordinator at the Großschweidnitz Memorial. He is also a research assistant and affiliated doctoral candidate at the Hannah Arendt Institute for Totalitarianism Studies at the TU Dresden. His main subjects of research are the Nazi euthanasia program and the Nazi press

The Lecture is part of the Dresden-Prague Talks Topographies of Suffering – Czech and German Victims during World War II in winter semester 2025/26. It takes place in Prague in the library (Vlašská 9) and hybrid via Zoom.

If you would like to attend, please register by the Monday before the event at: hait@tu-dresden.de, stating your full name. The registration link will be sent to you separately a few days before the start of the event.

This event is financed by the Saxon State government out of the State budget approved by the Saxon State Parliament.