Illegale Schwangerschaftsabbrüche in Tirol: Zur Situation von ungewollt schwangeren Frauen in den 1930er Jahren

Abortions have repeatedly been the subject of intense political and medical debates. In the 1930s, abortions were still banned in Austria (with few exceptions) and were punishable by several years in prison. This ban on abortion forced unintentionally pregnant women to break the law. However, people agreed to perform abortions on unintentionally pregnant women by injecting water into the uterus in exchange for money. Various oral abortifacients were also circulating during this time, including quinine or powder made from the leaves of the savin tree. Against this background, this research report attempts to answer the following questions by analysing court records and contemporary newspaper reports: Who were the unintentionally pregnant women? Where did they come from and how old were they at the time of their un-intended pregnancy? For what reasons did they decide to have an illegal abortion? How and where were abortions discussed and were any contacts made between the unintentionally pregnant women and the abortionists? Who were the people carrying out abortions and where did they get their medical knowledge from? Furthermore, the position of the medical profession on this subject will be explained.