Psychiatrie in Oberösterreich nach 1945 und der Neubau des psychiatrischen Krankenhauses

Abstract

The crimes committed against psychiatric patients during the national socialist regime were dealt with in two court trials, leading to four convictions. In the “Heil- und Pflegeanstalt Niedernhart”, the psychiatric state hospital of the province of Upper Austria, only 348 patients (out of 1,200) had remained. Initially, the hospital was used as housing for inmates freed from concentration camps, then for the patients of the women’s hospital. Since 1951 it served for psychiatric patients only and was soon very crowded, reaching a number of 1,600 patients in 1970. Years of stagnation came to an end with the appointment of Otto Schnopfhagen (1909–1974) as director. Though politically stigmatized by his former SS membership he became an outstanding reformer of psychiatry. He succeeded in erecting a new tract for the hospital (1970), thus ameliorating the desolate situation of the patients. He also founded the organization “pro mente infirmis” (1965) which later was to become the largest provider of psychiatric services in the community. Moreover, he improved psychiatric service provision by countless initiatives, e. g. the educational event “Psychiatrischer Samstag”.