Nursing Ethics at Hadamar

Abstract

In Nazi Germany, nurses played pivotal roles in the euthanasia programs in which thousands of civilians were murdered. This article is an analysis of the sociopolitical contexts and specific historically situated discourse used at the 1945 Hadamar Trial in defense of the actions or inactions of three nurses, primarily those of Irmgard Huber. It identifies the major implied and stated premises, supporting evidence, and conclusions of arguments attempting to absolve Huber of guilt. Following critical nursing models, it considers discourse as a window into the publicly presented reasoning of these nurses and into factors that made it possible for nurses in the 20th century to commit murder. The article concludes with a critique of the ethical framework that can be inferred from this discourse and suggests essential components of nursing ethics today.