[Between the mission of healing and repression - The role of medicine and psychiatric care an the Hohenschönhausen prison: A reconstruction from memories].

Investigating the role of psychiatry in the context of the remand prison Berlin-HSH, as an instrument of state repression. The aim is to analyse the intertwining of medical care and political control using testimonies.Qualitative analysis of guided interviews with former political prisoners, treating doctors and a lawyer to capture individual perspectives on medical care and psychological support in the MfS detention centres.There are different perceptions: Doctors reported comprehensive initial examinations, while former inmates described deficits and a routine process without systematic recording of mental health aspects. Mental stress was often ignored and only treated with medication in emergencies in the event of acute breakdowns.The study highlights that medical care in the MfS remand prisons was inadequate and perhaps unintentional. The care system was more focused on control and surveillance than on welfare.