[Forced Sterilisation Based on the Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring. The Role of the Heil- Und Pflegeanstalt (State Hospital) Günzburg]

Overview

Journal Nervenarzt

Specialty Neurology

Date 2011 Feb 10

PMID 21305259

Citations 1

Authors

F Steger

B Schmer

W Strube

T Becker

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: From 1934 to 1945, 350,000-400,000 human beings were sterilised by force in the German Reich. Forced sterilisation was based on the Gesetz zur Verhütung erbkranken Nachwuchses (Law for the Prevention of Hereditarily Diseased Offspring). The Heil- und Pflegeanstalt (State Hospital) Günzburg was one of the institutions where compulsory sterilisation was practised.

Methods: Data evaluation was based on patient documents and annual reports of the archives of today's district hospital at Günzburg. Patient records were analysed with respect to predefined criteria. The municipal archives of Günzburg provided further historical sources and data.

Results: Between 1934 and 1943, 366 patients were sterilised in the Heil- und Pflegeanstalt (State Hospital) Günzburg. Age, sex and diagnosis were found to be criteria relevant for selection of patients for sterilisation.

Conclusions: The study was able to show the active involvement of the Heil- und Pflegeanstalt (State Hospital) Günzburg in the compulsory sterilisation programme.

Citing Articles

Ernst Rüdin's Unpublished 1922-1925 Study "Inheritance of Manic-Depressive Insanity": Genetic Research Findings Subordinated to Eugenic Ideology.

Kosters G, Steinberg H, Kirkby K, Himmerich H PLoS Genet. 2015; 11(11):e1005524.

PMID: 26544949 PMC: 4636330. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005524.

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