'Tripperburgen' the sexual health clinics that detained women
Witness History16 Jun 2025

'Tripperburgen' the sexual health clinics that detained women

After the Second World War, in what was then East Germany, or the German Democratic Republic (GDR), tens of thousands of women and girls were forcibly detained and abused in sexual health clinics.

In 1977, at the age of 15, Sabine was at a house party in Leipzig when police came for her. She was taken to a so-called ‘Tripperburgen’ which translates to ‘gonorrhoea castle’.

After 31 days she was told to leave. Research shows at least 10 of these wards existed in the GDR and 70% of the women had not been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease.

Sabine tells Megan Jones about what happened to her, including being subjected to her first ever gynaecological exam.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Tripperburgen at Riebeckstraße 63. Credit: Fotozentrum Leipzig)

Episoder(2000)

John Lennon's final headline concerts

John Lennon's final headline concerts

In 1972, after leaving The Beatles, John Lennon and Yoko Ono performed in the United States at the One to One benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden, New York. They were helping to raise money for ...

29 Aug 20259min

The making of the Third Man: A film noir classic

The making of the Third Man: A film noir classic

In 1948, filming began on a post-war thriller that would become one of the greatest British movies of all time.Directed by Sir Carol Reed, the film captured the atmosphere of a divided, ruined Vienna....

28 Aug 20259min

Washington DC’s Mount Pleasant riot

Washington DC’s Mount Pleasant riot

In May 1991, a female police officer shot and wounded a young immigrant from El Salvador in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood in Washington DC in the United States. It sparked several days of disturban...

27 Aug 20259min

Creating CAPTCHA

Creating CAPTCHA

In 2000, as the internet expanded, websites faced a growing challenge to stop spam bots from flooding their systems.To separate humans from machines, researchers at the United States’ Carnegie Mellon ...

26 Aug 202510min

The creation of the International Criminal Court

The creation of the International Criminal Court

In 1998, at a conference organised by the United Nations, a blueprint was devised for what would be the world's first permanent International Criminal Court.Judge Phillipe Kirsch chaired the Rome conf...

25 Aug 202510min

Geneva Conventions

Geneva Conventions

In 1859, Swiss businessman Henry Dunant witnessed the Battle of Solferino, in Italy. He couldn’t believe the lack of aid for the wounded soldiers and came up with two ideas – a voluntary aid organisat...

22 Aug 202510min

The rise and fall of BlackBerry

The rise and fall of BlackBerry

In the early 2000s, BlackBerry was the phone that ruled the world. But within a decade, it collapsed, overtaken by the touch screen revolution.Sam Gruet speaks to former co-CEO Jim Balsillie about Bla...

21 Aug 20259min

The book that changed Norway’s view of immigrants

The book that changed Norway’s view of immigrants

In 2010, a book came out in Norway that transformed the way people looked at paperless immigrants. The author, a 25-year-old Russian woman, fled North Ossetia as a child with her parents. They were ne...

20 Aug 202510min

Populært innen Samfunn

rss-spartsklubben
giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
konspirasjonspodden
popradet
aftenpodden-usa
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
rss-henlagt-andy-larsgaard
wolfgang-wee-uncut
min-barneoppdragelse
grenselos
synnve-og-vanessa
alt-fortalt
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen
fladseth
198-land-med-einar-trnquist
rss-dannet-uten-piano
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem