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I would like to pass on an observation that my husband, Scott Anderson, made in reference to the Lebensborn discussion. Since he has research experience and publications in the field of intelligence history, I think his suggestion for further research into the question is worth considering. Regards, Annette Timm P.S. We were reading an advanced proof of the U.S. edition of the second volume, but this book has been available in the U.K. for several months now. Scott Anderson wrote: I wanted to add an additional note to the Lebensborn discussion. In reading the second volume (1942-45) of the Victor Klemperer diaries (I Will Bear Witness) I found a mention of Lebensborn in the entry for September 21, 1944. Reading an article debunking "Transparent enemy lies about the Waffen SS" in the Dresdner Zeitung, Klemperer encounters the argument that the SS is not "against the family" because it takes care of women and provides for illegitimate children: "The enemy's imagination has expressed itself with typical Jewish cynicism on the subject of the 'Lebensborn' homes. The nasty rumors about the fathering occurring by choice, by force, or serially, characterizes their author only too clearly." Now, two interesting points. First, in the endnotes, the editor repeats the common (and mistaken) assertion that Lebensborn was a deliberate SS breeding program: "Homes that were part of Himmler's Lebensborn program to create a superrace through selective breeding. Carefully chosen young German women were encouraged to become pregnant by racially and politically desirable SS men, then sent to one of the twelve Lebensborn homes where they got special maternity care." Second, the article read by Klemperer suggests that the origins of the "breeding program" myth might be found in Allied propaganda. Research into American and British "psychological warfare" intelligence operations might reveal evidence of rumors spread to this effect. It would be curious indeed if the persistence of this myth in post-war culture was due to believing one's own propaganda. Scott Anderson scott.anderson@berlin.de Annette F. Timm, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies Freie Universit=E4t, Berlin Garystr. 45 D-14195 Berlin, Germany Office Tel./Fax: +1149 30 8385-6671 E-Mail: annette.timm@berlin.de
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