918. Godthaab

Godthaab was a children orphanages located in the town of Frederiksberg in Denmark. It opened in 1876 and closed in 1984. Part of the orphanage was operated with use of corporal punishment. The care was based on so-called Christian values. The boys had to keep their hands over the bed sheets so they did not “abuse themselves”. Bedwetting resulted in forced labor in the cellar.

Some of the children were lured into participation in medical trials financed by CIA in the United States. The aim of these medical trials were to investigate schizophrenia and were published in secrecy at the University of Copenhagen by doctor Fini Schulsinger. The involvement of the children in these trials were a possible violation of the Nürnberg Code of 1947 as the children were not old enough to grant consent and the parents of the children were not informed.

It could not have been fun to be there as a child.

Sources:

• Danny fik proppet hovedet i toilettet på børnehjem – nu kræver han erstatning (TV2 Lorry – In Danish language)
• Bøghs historiske hjørne: Hård disciplin på det gamle børnehjem – Frederiksberg Friskoles bygning på Dronningensvej 3 (Frederiksberg Liv – in Danish Language)
• Nuremberg Code (Wikipedia)
• Danske børnehjemsbørn brugt i hemmelig undersøgelse støttet af CIA (Danmarks Radio – In Danish Language)