University Women’s Hospital Munich

The new building of the Royal University Women’s Clinic and Midwifery School was taken over by the Medical Faculty of the University of Munich and opened at Maistraße 11 in 1916. Under the direction of Alfred Döderlein (1907-1934), who successfully pushed for the construction of the new facility, the University Women’s Clinic developed into a highly rated training center with an excellent international reputation. In particular, its modernization of the outdated X-ray department made it an important center in the field of radiotherapy for gynecological carcinomas.

After the National Socialists came to power, the Law for the Prevention of Offspring with Hereditary Diseases (GzVeN) of July 14, 1933 was implemented on a widespread basis. It was the first ‘racial hygiene’ law passed under the Nazi regime which legitimized the forced sterilization of those considered to be ‘of inferior genetic quality’. From 1934 onwards, more than 1,300 women were forcibly sterilized at the University Women’s Clinic under its new director Heinrich Eymer. 438 women rendered infertile against their will due to a diagnosis of ‘congenital insanity’ as well as numerous others who were diagnosed with schizophrenia, manic-depressive insanity or epilepsy, and some also due to physical deformities. In the case of 368 women, this happened ‘without any diagnosis being apparent from the files’ (Horban, p. 43). Traditional surgical procedures were often used, but also methods that were new at the time such as radium inserts or X-rays. Outside of this legal framework there were a number of other forced sterilizations of Sintizze and Romnja and also of female forced laborers.
The University Women’s Clinic was largely spared from bombing during the Second World War which led to it being used as an alternative site for other hospitals in the immediate post-war period. It became a women’s clinic again in 1956. It was not until towards the end of the 20th century that the hospital located the surviving women who had been forcibly sterilized and sent them an official apology. On request, a medical certificate was issued for the forced sterilization carried out at the clinic under GvVeN: the women concerned could use this to apply to the Munich Chief Finance Directorate for compensation in the form of a so-called hardship benefit.