Oscar Orth

Oscar Orth (born June 15, 1876 in Ensheim ; † August 19, 1958 ibid) was a surgeon and head of the state hospital in Homburg , which later became the Saarland University Hospital . Many years after his death, he came into public discussion because of his involvement in National Socialist crimes.

Life

After graduating from high school (1896), Orth studied medicine in Munich, Berlin and Heidelberg. In 1901 he passed the state examination and doctorate in Heidelberg. After completing his internship in Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg, he established himself as a general practitioner in Ensheim in 1905. At the same time he took over the management of the company hospital of a local factory, which was also responsible for the supply of Ensheim. In 1912 he became the chief doctor of the Forbach / Lorraine hospital. During the First World War he worked there as a medical officer in the hospital that was rededicated as a war hospital. From 1918 to 1920 Orth worked again as an assistant doctor in Heidelberg and at the surgical university clinic in Halle an der Saale . From 1920 to 1922 he headed the municipal hospital in Landau (Palatinate) as a surgeon . In 1922 he was appointed director of the newly founded regional hospital in Homburg / Saar and stayed there until his retirement in 1947. Oscar Orth lived in his place of birth until his death.

In 1980 the city of Homburg / Saar donated a science award named after Oscar Orth, endowed with DM 10,000, which is now known as the “Science Prize of the City of Homburg” and is worth 5,000 euros.

time of the nationalsocialism

From the end of 1935 to September 1939, forced sterilization was carried out on mentally handicapped people in the Homburg State Hospital. In the course of denazification , Orth was released from his teaching post on August 15, 1946 and retired on January 1, 1947.

In 1993 the historian Christoph Braß published a master's thesis on forced sterilization processes in Saarland. He was particularly concerned with Orth's responsibility (in his role as the chief doctor of the Homburg State Hospital) for this National Socialist crime. The Saarland State Parliament Committee for Science and Culture later dealt with this problem. In the Saarbrücker Zeitung from 5./6. March 1994, the then Minister of Education, Diether Breitenbach , announced that random evaluations of 46 patient files revealed a case in which Oscar Orth himself had carried out a forced sterilization. According to research published in the daily newspaper, Oscar Orth was not a member of the NSDAP .

According to the Saarbrücker Zeitung of 21 August 2001, a demand has in the Federal Archives revealed that Orth has been since June 1, 1936 Member (membership number 6909753) of the NSDAP and since 26 November 1941, the Reich Chamber of Physicians belonged.

Honors and discussions

As early as 1930, the community of Ensheim granted its honored doctor honorary citizenship. In a ceremony on June 15, 1946, he was officially granted honorary citizenship. On April 19, 1948, the Ensheim town council decided unanimously to name a street to Orth. In 1957 Oscar Orth was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit. The city of Homburg named the main street of the university clinic and its science prize after the former medical director of the clinic.

After public interest in Orth's role in forced sterilization was awakened, Orth's honors were also discussed. In 1993 the city of Homburg changed the name of the Oscar Orth Prize to "City of Homburg Science Prize". In 1997 the address of the university clinic was changed from "Oscar-Orth-Strasse" to "Kirrberger Strasse", and in 2001 Oscar-Orth-Strasse in Ensheim was also renamed to "Alte Spitalstrasse". Orth's honorary citizenship expired upon his death.

Orth's personal and medical stance on forced sterilization cannot be reconstructed. On the other hand, however, he did not use his respected position to protect the patients entrusted to him as a doctor from criminal interference.

Web links

• Discussion about Orth's involvement in forced sterilization

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Saarbrücker Zeitung quoted from ensheim-saar.de.
2. ^ The debate about Oskar-Orth-Strasse in Ensheim.