Birth Control Clinic Opens In Germany, Daily Worker (Article, 1924)

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Birth Control Clinic Opens in German

Information Given Free to Workers

By Louis P. Lochner.

(Staff Correspondent of The Federated Press)

Berlin, March 3.--The state of Prussia has received an unusual gift in the form of an institute for the sex-science (sexualwissenschaft). It is to be known as the Magnus Harschfeld Foundation for Sex Science and is given by Dr. Hirschfeld.

One of the important departments of this institute, thru which press representatives were taken by the founder, is that in which free advice on sex matters is given to married people. This department is consulted most by men and women of the working classes, who for economic and other reasons are worried over the prospect of additional offspring. Birth control information, otherwise usually available only to the rich, thus becomes available to the workers.

The subject of eugenics also comes in for attention at these consultations, and couples with bad family histories, which make it more than likely that their offspring will be defective or degenerate, are given the necessary information for preventing conception.

The institute also treats sadism, homo-sexuality, perversion, and the like and tries to find the remedy rather than merely condemning such unfortunates to social ostracism. A special research department is in touch with the physicians of prisons and houses of correction and is gathering valuable material for showing the connection between sex and crime. In the institute is a museum showing specimens of every type of sexual disease and irregularity.

Representatives of the various departments of the federal government as well as city and state authorities were present at the exercises marking the transfer of the foundation to the state. It was pointed out in the formal addresses that there is only one other city on the European continent that has a similar institute, Vienna.