Dresden reveals cruel secrets of the GDR gonorrhea castles!

Dresden reveals cruel secrets of the GDR gonorrhea castles!

The Dresden Municipal Clinic has set itself the goal of coming to terms with a dark episode in GDR history: the so-called “gonorrhea castles”, in which thousands of girls and women were treated against their will. These institutions were part of a repressive system that not only sought to cure illnesses, but also exercised social control. MDR reports that between 1961 and 1989 numerous women and girls were regularly locked up in the venereological ward of the Friedrichstadt Hospital.

These “gonorrhea castles” were not only medical facilities, but also tools for re-education. Suspicion of sexually transmitted diseases or denunciations often led to forced admission. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that it was primarily about disciplining women and girls who did not meet the norms of socialist society. A sad example is the case of Jana Mendes-Bogas, who was picked up by the security service at the age of 15 and taken to such a station.

Everyday life in the “tripper castles”

What happened in these institutions? Loud Geo the inmates experienced cruel mistreatment. Women reported gynecological examinations that were often brutal and carried out without medical necessity. Many of them were insulted as “vagrants,” even though they were mostly perfectly healthy. They often had to work as cleaners and were simply labeled as “anti-social”.

A particularly contradictory aspect of this period was that many of the women treated ended up there only because of rumors or denunciations. Psychologists like Mathias Mohr have made it clear how the arbitrary actions of doctors represented a form of dictatorship. The Federal Agency for Civic Education points out that closed venereology wards were part of the controlling healthcare system in the GDR, which was monitored by the Ministry for State Security.

Reappraisal of history

Now, decades later, the municipal clinic is actively looking for contemporary witnesses and those affected in order to process these experiences. It is a painful but necessary process to name the injustice and listen to the victims. Despite the heavy legacy, Mendes-Bogas emphasizes the importance of not denying history, even if the memories cannot be undone.

The shadows of the past are long and the stories associated with these “gonorrhea castles” need to be told. It is a challenge that affects not only those responsible, but also society as a whole.