Reich Central Office for the Combating of Homosexuality and Abortion

Secret decree of the office's establishment.

The Reich Central Office for the Combating of Homosexuality and Abortion (German: Reichszentrale zur Bekämpfung der Homosexualität und der Abtreibung) was the central instrument of Nazi Germany for the fight against homosexuality in Nazi Germany and the fight against abortion. It was based on a similar organisation set up by Stalin to combat alleged immorality in the USSR.

History

The Reichszentrale was created on 10 October 1936 by a special decree of the Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler. Its creation was the sign of the revival of persecution of homosexuals during the relative calm after the 1936 Summer Olympics. The primary task of the Reichszentrale was the collection of data about homosexuals.

The central archive of data allowed the Reichszentrale to coordinate and begin the persecution and punishment of homosexuals. In order to do this, it had at its disposal special mobile squads, which also could carry out executions. By 1940 the section had already possessed data of some 41,000 homosexuals, both suspected and convicted. Investigation of the vice within the Party was not encouraged, unless the leadership ordered it for political reasons.

From 1936 to 1938 SS official Josef Meisinger was the director of the section at the Gestapo Central Headquarters.[1] Later it was led by criminologist advisor Erich Jacob. In July 1943, Jacob became director of criminology and he worked beside psychiatrist and neurologist Carl-Heinz Rodenberg, who came on as scientific director.[2] A group of 17 workers was available to both of them. The collection of records, which are believed to be about 100,000, was destroyed in all likelihood in the last days of the war.

In a campaign against the Catholic Church, many Catholic priests were arrested on unfounded charges of homosexuality and acts of perversion.[3][4]

See also

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ Jörg Hutter, Die Rolle der Polizei bei der Schwulen- und Lesbenverfolgung im Nationalsozialismus, in: "Schwule, Lesben, Polizei", Dobler, Jens (HG.), Verlag rosa Winkel, Berlin 1996.
  2. ↑ Burkhard Jellonek: Homosexuelle unter dem Hakenkreuz. Die Verfolgung von Homosexuellen im Dritten Reich. Schöningh, Paderborn 1990, ISBN 3-506-77482-4, p. 128
  3. ↑ Paulus Engelhardt: Korbinian Leonhard Roth OP (1904 -1960) und die „Sittlichkeitsprozesse“ gegen Priester und Ordensleute in der NS-Zeit.
  4. ↑ This article incorporates information from the corresponding article in the Spanish Wikipedia
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