2. The superintendent of a hospital, sanatorium, asylum, or of a penitentiary for its inmates. Article 4 The application is to be made in writing and is to be submitted to the attention of a hereditary health court. The facts, upon which this application is based must be corroborated by a medical expert opinion or in some other way. The office [of the hereditary health court] must inform the public health office of this application. Article 5 The hereditary health court of the district where the person to be sterilized resides has jurisdiction over the decision. Article 6 1. The hereditary health court is to be affiliated with a local court. It is composed of a local court judge as president, a public health officer and another physician approved in the German Reich, with expert knowledge of matters pertaining to eugenics. A deputy is to be appointed for each member. * * * * * * * Article 10 1. The higher hereditary health court is to be affiliated to a district court of appeal covering the same district. It consists of a member of the district court of appeal, a public health officer and another physician, approved in Germany, with expert knowledge of matters pertaining to eugenics. A deputy is to be appointed for each member. Article 6, paragraph 2 applies accordingly. * * * * * * * 3. The decisions of the higher hereditary health courts are final. Article 11 1. The operation necessary for the sterilization is to be performed only in a hospital and by a physician approved in Germany. He can perform this operation only after the decree for sterilization has become valid. The supreme provincial authority will appoint the hospitals and physicians authorized to perform the sterilization. The operation is not to be performed by the physician who made the application or who was a member of the board during the proceedings. Article 12 1. Once approved by the court, this sterilization has to be performed even against the will of the person to be sterilized, unless he made the application himself. The public health officer has to arrange the necessary measures with the police. Direct force may be used if other measures do not suffice. 2. If circumstances demand a re-examination of the facts, the hereditary health court has to reopen the case and to suspend the sterilization order temporarily. In case of a rejection of the application a reopening of the case is permissible only if new facts have appeared which justify the sterilization. * * * * * * * Berlin, 14 July 1933 The Reich Chancellor ADOLF HITLER