After the Second World War, in what was then East Germany, or the German Democratic Republic (GDR), tens of thousands of women and girls were forcibly detained and abused in sexual health clinics.

In 1977, at the age of 15, Sabine was at a house party in Leipzig when police came for her. She was taken to a so-called ‘Tripperburgen’ which translates to ‘gonorrhoea castle’.

After 31 days she was told to leave. Research shows at least 10 of these wards existed in the GDR and 70% of the women had not been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease.

Sabine tells Megan Jones about what happened to her, including being subjected to her first ever gynaecological exam.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

Recent episodes explore everything from football in Brazil, the history of the ‘Indian Titanic’ and the invention of air fryers, to Public Enemy’s Fight The Power, subway art and the political crisis in Georgia. We look at the lives of some of the most famous leaders, artists, scientists and personalities in history, including: visionary architect Antoni Gaudi and the design of the Sagrada Familia; Michael Jordan and his bespoke Nike trainers; Princess Diana at the Taj Mahal; and Görel Hanser, manager of legendary Swedish pop band Abba on the influence they’ve had on the music industry. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the time an Iraqi journalist hurled his shoes at the President of the United States in protest of America’s occupation of Iraq; the creation of the Hollywood commercial that changed advertising forever; and the ascent of the first Aboriginal MP.

(Photo: Tripperburgen at Riebeckstraße 63. Credit: Fotozentrum Leipzig)

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