Between punishment and attempted cure. Castration of sexual offenders and homosexuals in Germany, 1933-1989

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Matthis Krischel
• Subject Area: History of Science ; Modern and Contemporary History
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 539836099

The objective of this research project is to investigate to what extent homosexual behavior and sexual offences were seen as legal or medical problems that could be solved by legal or medical approaches in different political environments. The assumption of this research is not that homosexual men and sexual offenders are the same or similar, but that historically, homosexual con-duct, even among consenting adults, has been considered criminal and pathological in a similar way as sexual offences have been. Analyzing the course through which homosexuality went from sin to sickness to lifestyle will illustrate legal, medical and social consequences that resulted from the de-criminalization, de-medicalization and social acceptance of homosexuality towards the end of the time period under investigation on the one hand and considerations of criminality and pathology of sexual offenders on the other. I will employ dispositive analysis to analyze publications from expert jour-nals, the public press and archival sources. Taking into account the dif-ferent legal and social frameworks that were present in Germany before 1945 and the two post-war German states will allow me to understand better how rights of the individual and protection of the public from “dangerous” persons were negotiated under these different circumstances.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Heiner Fangerau; Dr. Chantal Marazia