Homeopathy in National Socialism

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Medical historical research on the subject of homeopathy under National Socialism shows that on the one hand the National Socialists showed an interest in homeopathy and on the other hand many homeopaths showed interest in National SocialismShowed interest - they hoped that this would give them recognition and equality that were largely denied them. Thanks to government funding, the position of homeopathy was more secure than ever before. Ultimately, however, she did not succeed in stepping out of her outsider position. The numerous tests of effectiveness were so devastating that homeopaths stopped continuing. The results were never published in detail. Three decades later, the head of the studies only published a summarizing personal statement.

"New German Medicine"

A sub-goal of the National Socialist reforms of the health system was the merging of different medical directions. The split since the middle of the 19th century into the increasingly scientifically based " conventional medicine " on the one hand and various other medical concepts on the other (for example naturopathy , life reform movement or homeopathy - often referred to as "biological healing methods") should be overcome . The " Neue Deutsche Heilkunde " wanted to restore the trust in the German medical profession, which had been believed to be lost, and to liberate "conventional medicine" from allegedly Jewish-Marxist elements such as reductionism or cold technicalism through a synthesis with "biological healing methods" ( cf. Medicine under National Socialism ). In addition, she tried to use the naturopathic and homeopathic lay movements for her goals. Their ideological concept seemed to be well suited to the National Socialists, as they were close to National Socialist ideas in their appeal to natural laws, with an emphasis on wholeness and solidarity with the people, as well as in their partial hostility to science. In addition, there were economic arguments: "In most cases, homeopathic administration is the most economical form of application of a remedy, at least as far as it is a real, simple Hahnemannian regulation." (Ministerialrat Eugen Stähle in an article "Four-year plan and homeopathy", 1936 ).

Lay movement

The German Society for Combating Kurpfuschertums organized lobbying work against homeopathy until the Nazi era . The freedom from couriers increased the number of lay healers considerably: in 1909 there were 4414, in 1933 there were 14,266. This also meant that the academically trained doctors were disadvantaged compared to the lay healers. While doctors had to take a state examination in order to obtain their license to practice medicine, lay practitioners were spared it.

The homeopathic lay associations often enthusiastically confessed to the National Socialist movement. As early as April 1933, Immanuel Wolf, chairman of the “Reichsbund für Homeopathie und Gesundheitspflege” and others sent an address of allegiance to Adolf Hitler , in which “unrestricted cooperation in the health of the people” was announced. In May and June 1933, the so-called Gleichschaltung took place in all homeopathic lay associations . The journal “Homöopathische Monatsblätter” published essays on “ racial hygiene ” and on nationalistic-folk topics, even on the value of homeopathy for the treatment of hereditary diseases . Internally, however, the apolitical self-image of most of the association's members could have prevailed. Little is known about this so far. All in all, the activities of the homeopathic lay movement decreased; at the end of the “Third Reich” this movement was largely destroyed.

Central Association of Homeopathic Doctors

The German Central Association of Homeopathic Doctors was brought into line in 1933 and in 1935 became a member of the “Reich Working Group for a New German Medicine”. The mood of many homeopathic doctors is described as "almost euphoric". In general, homeopathic newspaper in October 1933, a letter from was Hans Wapler (editor of the Central Association) to Adolf Hitler published on 6 August 1933 cited in the Wapler from a 1919 written essay: "The law of similarity is even true in politics and international life. For example, the German people will remain a slave people and will not come up again if they do not learn to counter the national consciousness of the Poles, Czechs, English and French with a similar national German consciousness. " This was followed by thanks to Hitler: " Heil you and Heil uns that in this sense you have so successfully implemented the law of similars in German politics. In the German name Heil! "

State support

For the first time in its history, homeopathy enjoyed state support. In 1937 the 12th International Homeopathic Congress met in Berlin under the patronage of Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess . In the same year, the additional designation "homeopathic doctor" was awarded for the first time. There were teaching positions in homeopathy at seven German universities. Ernst Bastanier , head of a homeopathic university clinic in Berlin until 1938, was awarded the title of professor in 1939 on Hitler's decree. Well received Hanns Rabe (1939) and Alfons Stiegele (1942) the title.

On February 17, 1939, the Heilpraktikergesetz came into force. During the "Third Reich", 13 homeopathic hospitals and homeopathic departments were founded at conventional medical clinics. Most important was the Robert Bosch Hospital in Stuttgart , which opened in 1940 with 320 beds. It developed into an important teaching and research facility for homeopathy with training courses and, in some cases, animal research.

Examination by the Reich Health Office

In spite of all the ostensible successes of homeopathy and all the hopes of its followers for recognition, there were also critical voices early on, warning of being taken over by National Socialism. It was feared that the merger with other methods would dilute the teaching and result in a loss of independence. On the other hand, the state's interest in homeopathy waned for various reasons. The most important one is likely to have been an investigation of homeopathy on behalf of the Reich Health Office between 1936 and 1939, even if the results of this were only known to a broader public more than 30 years later. Clinical trials, drug proving and source studies have been carried out on individual homeopathic medicines. The investigation was discontinued in 1939 without an official final report being presented. The clinical trials had shown no success. The reviews of homeopathic remedies could not reproduce the results of previous tests. Fritz Donner , who headed the drug studies, made considerable criticism of the sometimes desolate state of the homeopathic materia medica and the often completely uncritical treatment of it by homeopaths. Almost 30 years later, he summarized the results in a personal statement. In it he speaks of a fiasco that was due to the situation of homeopathy, i.e. not due to personnel.

Jewish homeopaths

Little is known about the fate of Jewish homeopaths. In the homeopathic press, unequivocally anti-Semitic statements were sometimes made . The "elimination" of Jewish, Social Democratic and Marxist doctors beginning in 1933 may also have affected homeopathy. The most prominent victim of the elimination within homeopathy was the Jewish doctor Otto Leeser (1888–1964). He was considered a representative of the scientific-critical direction of homeopathy in Germany. In 1933 he was expelled both from the German Central Association and from the editorial board of "Hippocrates". He had to emigrate to England via Switzerland and Holland. In 1949 he returned to Germany to take over the medical management of the Robert Bosch Hospital. The doctor and homeopath Otto Guttentag (1900–1992), who was born in Szczecin , also went into exile in the USA in 1933, where he received a professorship in 1936 at the University of California Medical School.

literature

  • Detlef Bothe: Homeopathy in the Third Reich. In: Sigrid Heinze (Ed.): Homeopathy 1796–1996. A medicine and its history. Edition Lit. europe, Berlin 1996, ISBN 3-930126-11-7 (catalog for the exhibition of the Dresden Hygiene Museum)
  • German journal for homeopathy , volumes 13 (1933) to 16 (1936)
  • Robert Jütte : The “New German Medicine” or: the failed attempt at a “synthesis” (1933–1945). In: ders .: History of Alternative Medicine. From folk medicine to today's unconventional therapies . CH Beck Verlag, Munich 1996. ISBN 3-406-40495-2 , 42-55.
  • Robert Jütte: Homeopathy and National Socialism: Ultimately, no appreciation of homeopathy. Dtsch Arztebl 2014, 111 (8), A-304
  • FH Schmeer: The travested homeopathy. In: Allgemeine Homöopathische Zeitung 1 (1988)
  • Philipp Wagner: Homeopathy in Austria during the time of National Socialism 1938 to 1945. An overview. In: Sonia Horn (Ed.): Homeopathic traces. Contributions to the history of homeopathy in Austria.
  • Matthias Wischner: A short history of homeopathy . Forum Homeopathy, KVC Verlag Essen 2004, ISBN 3-933351-41-3

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Matthias Wischner (2004), p. 59
  2. ↑ Opinion of the Drugs Commission of the German Medical Association, April 3, 1998: Methods of drug therapy that are outside of scientific medicine ( Memento of the original of October 23, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 77 kB) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bundesaerztekammer.de
  3. ↑ Matthias Wischner (2004), p. 59f.
  4. ↑ German Pharmacy. Ztg. 1936, p. 1874, quoted from Gudrun Barwig (1996), see web links.
  5. ^ Matthias Wischner (2004), p. 61.
  6. ↑ a b Matthias Wischner (2004), p. 62
  7. ^ Matthias Wischner (2004), p. 63
  8. ↑ Matthias Wischner (2004), p. 64 f.
  9. ↑ Matthias Wischner (2004), p. 66 f.