Nazismen och läkarna i Tyskland och Sverige

Abstract

Ideas of socialdarwinism and eugenics in combination with German nationalism and antisemitism paved the way for doctors joining the Nazi party, 45 per cent of all German doctors became party members. In the early 20th century Swedish medicine and medical education were much influenced by German basic and clinical sciences as well as German eugenics. Early Swedish officials opposed the antisemitic German policy of "rassenhygien". Few Swedish doctors were active antagonists to the nazis, although just a small percentage were members in nazi- or nazisympathizing Swedish organisations, but still many of those sympathizers were influential. The moral catastrophe for the Swedish doctors and medical undergraduates was that a majority opposed asylum for jewish doctors escaping Third Reich. The turn towards a humanistic attitude came when Norwegian and Danish jewish doctors fled from the occupation of their countries. The attitude among Swedish doctors and medical students against jewish refugees have during the last years been on the agenda.