Lecture and discussion in Stralsund
Psychiatry in the GDR was complex. There were notable successes, e.g. in the development of outpatient care and the establishment of psychiatric dispensaries, but there were also catastrophic, sometimes inhumane conditions. There were violations of the law in police and medical psychiatric admissions as well as breaches of taboos in maintaining medical confidentiality. In her lecture in Stralsund, medical historian Dr. Kathleen Haack (University of Rostock) will explore the balancing act between help and abuse within psychiatry in the GDR. Using selected regional examples from the archives of the Stasi Records Archive, she will analyze the role of the Ministry of State Security.
