Fritz Haarmann: The questionable report of a murderer in Göttingen

Fritz Haarmann: The questionable report of a murderer in Göttingen

In 1924, German society was shaken by the arrest of the serial killer Fritz Haarmann. The case is known not only because of the terrible deeds of Haarmann, but also because of the controversial psychiatric assessment, which he received in Göttingen. Haarmann, who was arrested at Hanover Central Station, had been suspected of murdering numerous young men and mutilating their corpses. These atrocities no longer let go of the company at the time and led to a legal process that is still considered legally questionable.

The psychiatric examination took place in a healing and nursing home in Göttingen, where Haarmann was housed for six weeks. The psychiatrist Professor Ernst Schulz was entrusted with the task of checking Haarmann's accountability. It is important here that the appraiser should not be influenced - a principle that was not met in the Haarmann case.

The importance of the expert opinion

The result of the report was of crucial importance for the subsequent legal proceedings. Schulz came to the conclusion that Haarmann was accountable and thus had full responsibility for his actions. This paved the way for the legal consequences that the public opinion of the time required. In December 1924, Haarmann was sentenced to death for 24 times murder. This judgment has both legal and social relevance.

The question of the accountability of perpetrators is fundamental to criminal law. An expert should always listen to and evaluate the circumstances and psychological conditions of a perpetrator objectively. In the evaluation of the protocols of that time, however, the forensic psychiatrist Christine Pozsár found that these principles were not observed in the case of Haarmann.

Schulz’s advice was not only unprofessional, but also included insulting statements, as "I haven't seen such a pig like her yet." His behavior was therefore questionable not only with regard to neutrality, but also his valuation standards were shaped by personal moral beliefs. Pozsár felt that Schulz Haarmann's actions did not derive from the individual experience of the perpetrator, but immediately judged according to religious and moral standards.

neglected background and childhood trauma

Another important criticism of the report is the violation of the basic principles of forensic psychiatry. It was missed to respond to important aspects of Haarmann's childhood and youth. These stages of life had severe psychological stress, including a risky relationship with his father and sexual abuse by his older brother. Such experiences could have had a significant impact on the development of a personality disorder and thus on Haarmann's later acts.

Despite the obvious relevance of this information, they were not taken into account in Schulz 'report. It is visible that Schulz did not expose the time and effort to fully understand Haarmann's complex psychological constitution, which severely restricted his assessment.

Haarmann's acts finally came to their tragic end on April 15, 1925 through the fall of the fall. Immediately before his execution, Haarmann expressed his last words: "Goodbye", which reflects a depressing picture of his attitude.

a lasting legacy of cruelty

Haarmann not only went down in history because of his crimes, but also because of his posthumous presence in the academic world. After his execution, Haarmann's skull was handed over to the University of Göttingen as a research object. This leads to a controversial discussion about ethics and morality in medical research. The prepared skull was kept until 2014 before it was finally credited and anonymously buried, which symbolically eliminated the traces of this dark story. Haarmann's case remains not only an example of the limits of psychiatric assessment, but also for the responsibility of society to deal with such atrocities.

The case history of Fritz Haarmann not only offers an insight into the psychiatry of the 1920s, but also reflects social and structural developments in dealing with mental illnesses and the legal system. During Haarmann, psychiatry was strongly shaped by the views of the respective experts, who were often influenced by personal beliefs or social norms. This situation often caused patients to be assessed objectively and the therapy approaches were increasingly considered morally sound, instead of ran in medical evidence.

The overarching development in the German healthcare system of the early 20th century was subject to various changes that touched both political and social aspects. Programs on Eugenik and the idea of "racial hygienic" aspects significantly influenced psychiatry, which led to a sometimes inhumane approach to mentally ill people. Haarmann's case is exemplary for the problems that women and men with mental illnesses experienced especially in the Weimar Republic.

psychiatric reports in the change of time

The handling of psychiatric reports has changed since the 1920s. During the early 20th century, the focus was often on evaluating the accountability in order to determine criminal responsibility. In today's world, forensic psychiatry is much more concerned with comprehensive diagnostics in which biological, psychological and social factors flow into the evaluation.

In addition, the claims to experts have changed. Today, these not only have to remain neutral and objective, but also be able to classify the individual life story of the examined and to take current scientific knowledge into account. An example of development in forensic psychiatry is the implementation of the DSM-5 criteria (diagnostic and statistical manual mental disorders) that enable standardized diagnosis.

Current studies on serial killers and their backgrounds

In recent years there have been several studies that deal with a better understanding of the motivation and behavior of serial killers. An investigation into the psychosocial background of serial murderers in Germany has shown that numerous perpetrators, like Haarmann, have experienced difficult conditions in their childhood that had a significant impact on their development.

These psychopathologies are often part of a complex structure that includes emotional neglect, abuse and violence in childhood. Studies show that a preventive approach aims at an early intervention to improve psychosocial circumstances in order to counteract the development of violent behavior.

In addition, the aspect of the neurobiological behavioral research approach is increasingly being considered in research, which examines to what extent biologically conditional factors, such as genetic dispositions, can lead to increased willingness to violence. Sources such as the German Society for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Neurology are constantly offering current publications and insights into this topic in order to inform and improve medical practice.