Medical Treatment, Duty to Work, and Political Education. Functions of Soviet “Prophylactoria” and “Care Homes for STD Patients” in Germany

Abstract

After the end of World War II, “care homes for sexually transmitted disease patients” were established in the Soviet Occupation Zone of Germany (SOZ). The legal basis was established by the order of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SMAD) No 30. Care homes for sexually transmitted disease patients are institutions that combine education and treatment of illnesses for individuals with an STD. The sick individuals had to follow a regular daily routine and work every day. Political indoctrination served to educate “socialist personalities”. Similar institutions already existed in the USSR. In the 1920s, the so-called “prophylactoria” were established in the USSR. This article compares these two types of medical institutions. Sources from the State Archive of the Russian Federation in Moscow, the German Federal Archives in Berlin, and the City Archive Zwickau were used.