[Medical confidentiality in the former DDR]

In accordance with the communist ideology of the GDR, interventions in the private domain of citizens were made without any compunction. Notwithstanding, Section 136 of the Penal Code of the GDR made it a punishable offence to divulge in professional secrets. However, this regulation only simulated the right and obligation to respect professional secrets. Organs of the state continually disregarded medical confidentiality. Besides this, there were numerous statutory medical notifications which were also a severe burden to the relationship of trust between the physician and patient. The State Security Service of the GDR also constantly infringed medical confidentiality. In "research work" carried out at the "Juridical University" of the State Security Service, a thorough strategy of procuring information actually protected by medical confidentiality was ceveloped. The physician has sole responsibility in maintaining medical confidentiality. This also applies to the period of the GDR. There are examples of physicians resisting the State Security Service.