title: ["Euthanasia of children" during dictatorship of national socialism: "special children's department" Ansbach in Germany].
abstract: Focus of this paper is a description of "child euthanasia" during National Socialism 1939-1945 in the "specialized children's department" of the Ansbach state hospital. The historical and ideological bases for euthanasia and the development of child and adolescent psychiatry are explained. Material was found in public archives and trial records of German courts. 156 case histories of children who were killed in the Ansbach state hospital were evaluated. Child euthanasia in Ansbach was done in the same stereotyped way as in other specialized children's departments. The 156 children were aged between one week and 16 years. 39 children died within the first three months, 31 children died within three to six months in hospital. Most children were autopsied, at least 86 brains were examined neuropathologically. The trials against the involved physicians were quashed finally in 1968.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie, Psychiatrische Klinik mit Poliklinik, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6 und 10, 91054 Erlangen.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nedoschill
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Castell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000296:Adolescent Psychiatry / Q000266:history*; D002648:Child; D002665:Child Psychiatry / Q000266:history*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000266:history* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005053:Eugenics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D005065:Euthanasia / Q000266:history* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005858:Germany; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric / Q000266:history* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006783:Hospitals, State / Q000266:history; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000266:history; D008297:Male; D010819:Physician's Role; D011056:Political Systems / Q000266:history*