[Mentally ill citizens as victims of violation of physical integrity and extermination under the NS regime based on the example of a German city].

Background: Even 90 years after the National Socialist seizure of power and the beginning of the darkest chapter of German psychiatric history, examination of the medical historical past retains great relevance as an ongoing medical responsibility. The interventions in the lives of mentally ill people by the National Socialist regime are a firmly established part of medical historical research; however, little is known about how specific regions proceeded with affected citizens.

Objective: The aim of this study was therefore to identify transfer routes of the "euthanasia" transports and places of death of the victims from Bochum as well as their patient characteristics.

Materials and methods: During the timeframe studied, inpatient care for mentally ill patients from the Westphalia region was provided in seven provincial institutions. There was no psychiatric clinic in Bochum at the time, so patients were distributed among these institutions. The investigation was based on the transfer lists of the Westphalian provincial institutions to the killing sites.

Results and conclusion: A total of 366 Bochum citizens affected by "euthanasia" transfers were identified. The transport lists were verified by admission and departure books, death lists, and patient files. The hereditary health files of the city archive were used to examine the relocated Bochum patients to determine whether they were victims of forced sterilization.