Aug. 2, 2026 | Author shares her family's connection to a Nazi atrocity — Catholic Review Radio

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Rita Buettner speaks with Ilka Knüppel, author of "Finding Ruth: A Personal Story of Hitler’s Secret Euthanasia Program, Action T4."

Knüppel recounts the life of her great-aunt Ruth Muehlmann, a young woman with a disability who was murdered in 1941 as part of the Nazis’ secret program that systematically killed people with disabilities. She shares her years-long search through German archives, her visits to the institutions where Ruth lived and died, and the emotional journey of uncovering long-hidden family history.

The author also reflects on how her Catholic faith sustained her while researching such profound evil and why remembering these forgotten victims is essential today. This conversation offers a powerful reminder of the dignity of every human person, the importance of confronting history honestly and the responsibility to protect the most vulnerable.

Host: Rita Buettner

Guest: Ilka Knüppel

Producer: George Matysek Jr.