Die Patientenakten der geschlossenen Venerologischen Einrichtungen Leipzig-Thonberg (1946–1990)

In June 1946, a reformatory for people with venereal diseases was founded in Leipzig-Thonberg. In 1952, this reformatory was converted into a closed venereology ward, which existed until 1990. The initial legal foundations were the Orders 25, 30 and 271 of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SMAD) and since 1961, the “Regulation for the prevention and control of venereal diseases”. Approximately 5,000 patient records from these facilities can be found in the municipal archive in Leipzig. Of these, we analyzed 1,038 records. Between 1946 and 1961, the commitments of patients to these institutions corresponded with the legal specifications of the SMAD-Orders. Since 1961, the majority of the commitment procedures violated the multi-stage commitment instruction prescribed in the “Regulation for the prevention and control of venereal diseases”.