Self-harm as a form of resistance in the juvenile detention center Jugendhaus Halle in the 1980s.

backgroundOf the twelve youth prisons in the German Democratic Republic, known as Jugendhäuser, the one in Halle was notorious for the violence among its inmates. Self-harm in the form of suicides and attempted suicides had been common throughout the prison's existence since 1971, but hunger strikes also became frequent in the 1980s. The aim of this paper is to explain the causes of self-harm in the Jugendhaus Halle, the risks for young people and the chances of achieving their goals, and to discuss a concept of "nonviolent" resistance in this context.

methodsWe analyzed the personal files of juvenile prisoners from the Archive of the Correctional Facility Halle and the Stasi Records Archive Halle concerning the situation and incidents in the Jugendhaus Halle. The historical-critical method was used to analyze these sources.

resultsMost of the youths involved in the hunger strikes were political prisoners who wanted to leave East Germany and felt their sentences were unjust. The hunger strikes usually lasted one or two days, but in persistent cases, the youths were force-fed. Suicide attempts were caused by abuse and humiliation. After medical treatment, those attempting were restrained in "chain beds."

conclusionsWhile suicide attempts expressed despair, hunger strikes were frequent among political prisoners protesting their sentences and demanding freedom of movement. Self-harm as a resistance was largely ineffective and met with punitive measures. The idea of "nonviolent" resistance through self-harm is controversial, as it involves harming one's own body and often provokes further violence by prison authorities.