Klinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie

Forschung

History of Psychiatry

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Welcome!

Little is known about the role of the “Städtische und Universitätsklinik für Nerven- und Gemütskranke” (municipal and university hospital for the nervously and mentally sick) and its participation in the three major crimes committed by German psychiatrists during the National Socialist era (forced sterilization, NS-“Euthanasia”,  and the concomitant scientific research on preparations of the victims). Our research group aims to close this gap.

Furthermore, our group wants to understand the underlying mindset concerning eugenics and “life unworthy of life” of the responsible doctors, how it evolved before the National Socialist party came to power and if it changed after the end of the era. To answer this question we analyse the possible freedom of action of the physicians in charge and their relation to the local, regional and national powers.

Current Projects

  1. Analysis which patients were sent to the asylums nearby and died there due to murder by gassing or medication, starvation or lack of hygiene
  2. Assessing the participation in forced sterilization by anouncing patients to the hereditary health court (HHC), the partaking in trials at the HHC as “Beisitzer” and the expert reports for the HHC by the physicians in charge.
  3. Investigation of the cases of deaths within the psychiatric hospital and if there are any hints on murders.

Group Members

  • Moritz Verdenhalven (PI)
  • Ataraxia Hofstädter (MD Student)
  • Albert Vahle (MD Student)
  • Katharina Hruschka (B.A. Student)

Funding Sources

Patenschaftsmodell des Fachbereichs Medizin der Goethe Universität Frankfurt

Collaborations

  • Prof. Dr. Sibylle Steinbacher (Fritz- Bauer- Institute for history and impact of the Holocaust, Germany)
  • Prof. Dr. Herwig Czech (Medizinische Universität Wien, Ethik, Sammlungen und Geschichte der Medizin (Josephinum), Austria)

Publications

Verdenhalven, M., Hofstädter, A. Verlegungspolitik und Mortalitätsraten der Frankfurter Universitätsnervenklinik im Nationalsozialismus – Ein Werkstattbericht, in press.

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