Colonia Dignidad" – Psychotherapie im ehemaligen Folterlager einer deutschen Sekte [Colonia Dignidad: Psychotherapy in the Former Torture Center of a German Sect] (original) (raw)

Zeitschrift für Politische Psychologie, 2006

Abstract

„Colonia Dignidad“, a totalitarian sect, was founded in 1961 by the lay preacher Paul Schäfer in the south of Chile with an initial group of 200 members. In the following decades the settlement changed into a closed camp within the state. The leader of sect had absolute authority and could pursue his pedophile tendencies, uncontrolled and with impunity. Simultaneously, the colony served as a torture camp for the Chilean secret service, DINA. On the basis of pseudo-religious „holy teaching“ Schäfer and his leadership circle built a system of control, punishment, and mutual denunciation. Children were separated from their parents; friendly, family or sexual relations among the members were forbidden. Unpaid work, severe punishments, and the use of psychiatric drugs and electric shock treatment ruled the lives of the residents. In 2005 Schäfer was arrested in Argentina and sentenced a year later to 20 years imprisonment. In the same year the German foreign ministry set up a psycho-therapeutic program for the residents of „Villa Baveria“, as the former „Colonia Dignidad“ is called today. The psycho-therapeutic team consisted of a psychiatrist and two psychologists. Treatment was seen as a necessary rehabilitative addition to the criminal justice proceedings dealing with the serious human rights abuses committed in the camp. It was intended to help the victims deal with the traumatization and assist the community to integrate into society. Initially, individual therapies were difficult due to the clients’ underdeveloped personality structures. In group therapy fear dominated, often clearly resulting from the former repressive nature of the community. For this reason, group therapy was structured on psycho-educative basis with a series of informational events about the family and life cycle. The participants were then better able to talk about their traumatic experiences. The team then decided to view the community as a „collective patient“. This approach was combined with a state care program. Now individual and group therapy, thematically oriented working groups, crisis intervention, communication training, and geronto-psychiatric services are provided. The resources of the clients should be noted, such as their awareness of responsibilities, solidarity, and preservation of culture and music. The typical overall picture of psychological complaints manifested as a personality disorder in the sense of underdeveloped structures of the self, since the processes of personal maturing and individuation, including psycho-sexual development, were inhibited due to the repressive nature of the community. The difficulty of building up a stable and trusting relationship is reflected in counter-transference. The repression in „Colonia Dignidad“ is described from a psychoanalytical perspective as a perverted system which robbed the people living in it of every form of normative human orientation in an upside world. Suggested Citation: Biedermann, N., Strasser, J., & Poluda, J. (2006). “Colonia Dignidad” – Psychotherapie im ehemaligen Folterlager einer deutschen Sekte [Colonia Dignidad: Psychotherapy in the former torture center of a German sect]. Zeitschrift für Politische Psychologie, 14(1+2), 111–127. Die „Colonia Dignidad“, eine totalitäre Sektengemeinschaft, wurde 1961 im Süden Chiles von dem Laienprediger Paul Schäfer gegründet, mit anfangs etwa 200 Mitgliedern. In den kommenden Jahrzehnten verwandelte sich die Siedlung in ein geschlossenes Lager – ein Staat im Staate. Der Sektenführer hatte darin unumschränkte Herrschaft und konnte ungehindert und straflos seinen pädophilen Neigungen nachgehen. Zugleich diente die Kolonie dem chilenischen Geheimdienst DINA als Folterlager. Auf der Grundlage einer pseudoreligiösen „Heilslehre“ baute Schäfer und sein Führungskreis ein System der Überwachung, Bestrafung und gegenseitigen Denunziation auf. Kinder wurden von ihren Eltern getrennt, freundschaftliche, familiäre odersexuelle Beziehungen der Sektenmitglieder untereinander waren verboten. Unentlohnter Arbeitsdienst, harte Strafen sowie der Einsatz von Psychopharmaka und Elektrokrampfbehandlung bestimmten das Leben der Bewohner. 2005 wurde Schäferin Argentinien gefasst und ein Jahr später zu einer 20-jährigen Haftstrafe verurteilt. Im selben Jahr initiierte das deutsche Auswärtige Amt ein psychotherapeutischesmBetreuungsprogramm für die Bewohner der „Villa Baviera“, wie die ehemalige „Colonia Dignidad“ heute genannt wird. Das psychotherapeutische Team bestand aus einem Psychiater und zwei Psychologinnen. Die Behandlung wurd eals notwendige rehabilitative Ergänzung zur strafrechtlichen Aufarbeitung der in der Siedlung begangenen schweren Menschenrechtsverletzungen betrachtet, um erlittene Traumatisierungen bearbeiten und die Siedlungsgemeinschaft in die Gesellschaft integrieren zu können. Die Einzeltherapien gestalteten sich anfangs aufgrund unterentwickelter Selbststrukturen bei den Klienten und Klientinnen als nicht einfach.…

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