Immer häufiger wird das Wort „Handicap“ benutzt, um den Begriff der „Behinderung“ zu vermeiden. Warum dies aber der falsche Weg ist und warum die häufig genannte Begründung dafür auch nicht stimmt, er...

Background Hans Asperger (1906–1980) first designated a group of children with distinct psychological characteristics as “autistic psychopaths” in 1938. In 1944 he published a comprehensive study on the topic, which would find international acknowledgement from the 1980s. From then on the eponym Asperger’s syndrome became increasingly more widespread. At the time, the fact that Asperger had spent pivotal years of his career during the National Socialist period in Vienna raised some questions regarding possible ties to National Socialism and its race hygiene policies; however, evidence was scarce, and over time a narrative of Asperger as an active opponent of National Socialism took hold. Objective The main goal of this article is to re-evaluate this apologetic narrative. Based on previous publications by the author, it offers a critical, evidence-based examination of Asperger’s life, politics, and career before and during the National Socialist period in Austria. Material and methods The article draws on an array of contemporary publications and previously unexplored archival documents, including Asperger’s personnel files and the clinical assessments he wrote on his patients. Results Asperger managed to accommodate himself to the National Socialist regime and was rewarded for his affirmations of loyalty with career opportunities. He joined several organizations affiliated with the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP, although not the NSDAP itself), publicly legitimized race hygiene policies including forced sterilization and, on several occasions, actively cooperated with the child euthanasia program. Conclusion The narrative of Asperger as a principled opponent of National Socialism and a courageous defender of his patients against euthanasia and other race hygiene measures does not hold up in the face of the historical evidence. What emerges is a much more problematic role played by this pioneer of autism research.

Ist der Begriff "behindert" noch zeitgemäß? Über die verschiedenen Auffassungen des passenden Begriffs

Our Motto: What is “Nothing About Us Without Us”?“Nothing About Us Without Us” means that autistic people need to be involved whenever autism is discussed. When non-autistic people make decisions abou...