Episode 33: Past, responsibility, vision

Understanding the past in order to shape the present more consciously - this is the guiding principle behind our 33rd podcast episode: Past, Responsibility, Vision, produced as TUD Lectures+. With analyses and ethical questions, we shed light on the dark chapters of medical history under National Socialism and build bridges to the present.

The starting point for this podcast is the exhibition "In Memory of the Children", which commemorates the more than 5,000 children who were tortured and murdered in so-called "children's wards". These cruel crimes were committed with the involvement of doctors in private practice, state offices, hospitals and scientific institutions. Our podcast is dedicated to these harrowing chapters of history and discusses their significance for today's society.

When: April 16, 2025, 6:00 pm

Where: Kunstverein Dresden, Neustädter Markt 8, 01097 Dresden

Our Advisors:

Our guests are scientists who have been working intensively on the Nazi and medical past and its consequences for years:

• Prof. Dr. phil. Beate Mitzscherlich - Professor of Educational Psychology and Ethics in Healthcare at the West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau. She has been researching the crimes of Nazi medicine and the role of the health authorities in particular for many years. Her work shows how people who did not fit in with the nationalist view of society were systematically recorded, disenfranchised and murdered. Her findings shed a frightening light on the ethical unscrupulousness of the perpetrators and make it clear how central the issue of data security is, even in this day and age.
• Prof. Dr. Florian Bruns - Professor of Ethics and History of Medicine and Dentistry and Director of the Institute of History of Medicine at TU Dresden. As curator of the exhibition "In memory of the children. Pediatricians and the crimes committed against children during the Nazi era" , he has dealt intensively with the involvement of doctors in the systematic murder of children. His research provides profound insights into the mechanisms of the perpetrator society and the moral dilemmas that still exist today.
• Dr. Hagen Schönrich - Scientific coordinator of the research project "The Technische Hochschule Dresden under National Socialism". He researches the history of universities during the Third Reich and sheds light on how science and ideology were intertwined. His work shows how universities were used as instruments to push through political agendas and what influence this had on research and teaching.

Moderation:

• Linda Fleck, doctoral fellow in the research training group "The Technische Hochschule Dresden under National Socialism". Her research deals with the ideologization of teacher training and examines how education was used in a targeted manner as an instrument of power to spread National Socialist ideology. With journalistic flair and scientific curiosity, she asks the central questions: What responsibility do science and society have from the past? How do we deal with ethical gray areas in medicine today? And what lessons can we learn for the future?

Our podcast is an invitation to reflect; remembrance is the first step towards responsibility. Join us live and ask us your anonymous questions. We look forward to your participation and an enriching exchange!

Photo note

Photographs and videos will be taken during this event. The photos will be used for the press and public relations work of the TUD and the other participants. If necessary, photos will also be passed on to third parties for reporting purposes. By participating in the event, you agree that photos of you may be used for publications in print and online media, including social media.

This project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Saxony as part of the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State governments.