Med Ges Gesch. 1996 ; 15(): 167-94.

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Karrasch B.

During the Third Reich homoeopathic and other lay organisations in alternative medicine propagated simple, cheap German methods of treatment and required every German citizen to see it as their personal duty to stay healthy. So they helped to hand over to the patients the main responsibility for their illness and to make them forget the reasons for life being difficult, especially during the war. This article describes the development and conduct of the German homeopathic lay organisations during the Third Reich. Based on articles in homeopathic journals, it shows the reaction of the "Reichsbund f�r HomÃ¶opathie und Lebenspflege", the parent organisation of the lay homeopaths, to the "Machtergreifung" (seizure of power of the National Socialists in Germany 1933-1934). The effects of the "Gleichschaltung" (forcing into line of organisations) on the lay homeopaths and its significance for state health politics are demonstrated.