In 1930s and 1940s Vienna, child psychiatrist Hans Asperger sought to define autism as a diagnostic category, treating those children he deemed capable of participating fully in society. He was depicted as compassionate and devoted. However, he was in fact deeply influenced by Nazi ideology, and for children with greater disabilities he prescribed harsh institutionalisation, and in some cases transfer to the Reich’s killing centres. Edith Sheffer, in this book, recounts the heartbreaking experiences of these children, and illuminates the Nazi regime’s obsession with cataloguing people by race, politics, religion, sexuality, criminality and biological defects – all labels that became the basis of either rehabilitation or persecution or extermination. It’s meticulously documented, and absolutely chilling in its detail. It reveals the consequences of the most extreme abuses of clinical power and authority. It will move you to rethink how societies assess, label, and treat those with disabilities.
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook