Friedrich von Bodelschwingh
Encyclopedia
Friedrich von Bodelschwingh, Junior (14 August 1877, Bethel – 4 January 1946, Bethel) was a German
theologian and public health
advocate. His father was Friedrich von Bodelschwingh, Senior (6 March 1831, Tecklenburg
– 2 April 1910, Bethel), founder of the Bodelschwinghsche Anstalten Bethel charitable foundations.
, which offered health care and other advantages to the poor, for many years. Upon the death of his father in 1910, Bodelschwingh the younger took over their operation. Both he and his father were close friends and colleagues of Ernst von Dobschütz
. In 1921 he expanded the services of the Institute to care for orphan
ed children; boys who did not know their birthdate were given March 6, in honor of Reverend von Bodelschwingh, and girls were given February 20 in honor of Frieda von Bodelschwingh.
Both Bodelschwinghs were concerned with inherited defects
, and expressed distress at the increasing number of handicapped
persons in Germany. In a speech on 29 January 1929 he referred to the "catastrophic development" of "the increasing number of weak ones in body and spirit." On May 27, 1933, von Bodelschwingh was appointed Reichsbishop but resigned only a month later, before the appointment became effective, in protest against the actions of the German Christians
.
and enforced sterilization as possible solutions to the problem but concluded by firmly rejecting euthanasia as a viable option which put him at odds with the Nazi regime. Although he took the oath of loyalty to Hitler in 1938, an unusual step for a minister not of the German Christian church, he made no secret of his vigorous opposition to the Nazi's sterilization and euthanasia policies
. The Gestapo
closed the Bethel Theological School in March 1939 and in April 1940 ordered institutions and homes to begin relocation of their patients in collective shipments without notification of next-of-kin.
In May 1940 Pastor Paul Braune, Vice President of the Central Board for Interior Missions of the German Lutheran Church and head of the Hoffnungstaler Institutions, met with von Bodelschwingh at Bethel to discuss the Nazi "green forms" which he had been instructed to fill out, authorizing the transfer of "feebleminded" girls from the Hoffnungstaler Institution. The two men were deeply alarmed over disturbing reports of deaths of former patients who were shipped off and strange obituaries
which had appeared. In February 1941 when a physician's commission arrived at Bethel to force von Bodelschwingh to fill out the green forms, he refused. Staff members expressed their willingness to forcibly resist any attempted transportation of sick persons by force and the commission eventually departed. A month later the Nazi regime banned the institute press.
Friedrich von Bodelschwingh appeared four times on German postage stamp
s: in 1952 when the Bundesrepublik Deutschland included him in a semi-postal issue entitled "Helfer der Menschheit, in 1967 when the German post office commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Bethel hospitals, in 1977 to commemorate von Bodelschwingh's 100th birthday, and in 1996 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death.
s, live-in groups, work therapy facilities and shops for the disabled.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
theologian and public health
Public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
advocate. His father was Friedrich von Bodelschwingh, Senior (6 March 1831, Tecklenburg
Tecklenburg
Tecklenburg is a town in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Geography:It is located at the foothills of the Teutoburg Forest, southwest of Osnabrück.-Division of the town:...
– 2 April 1910, Bethel), founder of the Bodelschwinghsche Anstalten Bethel charitable foundations.
Public health activities
Friedrich was the son of Reverend Friedrich von Bodelschwingh and his wife Frieda. He is sometimes known as Friedrich von Bodelschwingh the Younger to distinguish him from his father. Reverend Friedrich von Bodelschwingh began and operated the von Bodelschwingh Bethel InstitutionBethel Institution
The Bethel Institution is a diaconal hospital for the mentally ill in Bielefeld, Germany....
, which offered health care and other advantages to the poor, for many years. Upon the death of his father in 1910, Bodelschwingh the younger took over their operation. Both he and his father were close friends and colleagues of Ernst von Dobschütz
Ernst von Dobschütz
Ernst Adolf Alfred Oskar Adalbert von Dobschütz was a German theologian, textual critic, author of numerous books and professor at the University of Halle, the University of Breslau, and the University of Strasbourg...
. In 1921 he expanded the services of the Institute to care for orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
ed children; boys who did not know their birthdate were given March 6, in honor of Reverend von Bodelschwingh, and girls were given February 20 in honor of Frieda von Bodelschwingh.
Both Bodelschwinghs were concerned with inherited defects
Genetic disorder
A genetic disorder is an illness caused by abnormalities in genes or chromosomes, especially a condition that is present from before birth. Most genetic disorders are quite rare and affect one person in every several thousands or millions....
, and expressed distress at the increasing number of handicapped
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
persons in Germany. In a speech on 29 January 1929 he referred to the "catastrophic development" of "the increasing number of weak ones in body and spirit." On May 27, 1933, von Bodelschwingh was appointed Reichsbishop but resigned only a month later, before the appointment became effective, in protest against the actions of the German Christians
German Christians
The Deutsche Christen were a pressure group and movement within German Protestantism aligned towards the antisemitic and Führerprinzip ideological principles of Nazism with the goal to align German Protestantism as a whole towards those principles...
.
Opposition to Nazi policies
Bodelschwingh discussed both euthanasiaEuthanasia
Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering....
and enforced sterilization as possible solutions to the problem but concluded by firmly rejecting euthanasia as a viable option which put him at odds with the Nazi regime. Although he took the oath of loyalty to Hitler in 1938, an unusual step for a minister not of the German Christian church, he made no secret of his vigorous opposition to the Nazi's sterilization and euthanasia policies
Action T4
Action T4 was the name used after World War II for Nazi Germany's eugenics-based "euthanasia" program during which physicians killed thousands of people who were "judged incurably sick, by critical medical examination"...
. The Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
closed the Bethel Theological School in March 1939 and in April 1940 ordered institutions and homes to begin relocation of their patients in collective shipments without notification of next-of-kin.
In May 1940 Pastor Paul Braune, Vice President of the Central Board for Interior Missions of the German Lutheran Church and head of the Hoffnungstaler Institutions, met with von Bodelschwingh at Bethel to discuss the Nazi "green forms" which he had been instructed to fill out, authorizing the transfer of "feebleminded" girls from the Hoffnungstaler Institution. The two men were deeply alarmed over disturbing reports of deaths of former patients who were shipped off and strange obituaries
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
which had appeared. In February 1941 when a physician's commission arrived at Bethel to force von Bodelschwingh to fill out the green forms, he refused. Staff members expressed their willingness to forcibly resist any attempted transportation of sick persons by force and the commission eventually departed. A month later the Nazi regime banned the institute press.
Death and posthumous recognitions
After the war, von Bodelschwingh and the Bethel Institute set up the Bethel Search Service to help locate missing family members. Von Bodelschwingh died in December 1945.Friedrich von Bodelschwingh appeared four times on German postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
s: in 1952 when the Bundesrepublik Deutschland included him in a semi-postal issue entitled "Helfer der Menschheit, in 1967 when the German post office commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Bethel hospitals, in 1977 to commemorate von Bodelschwingh's 100th birthday, and in 1996 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death.
Von Bodelschwingh Institutes today
The von Bodelschwingh Bethel Institutes are still in operation, helping more than 14,000 persons in clinics, homes, schools, kindergartenKindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
s, live-in groups, work therapy facilities and shops for the disabled.