From punishment to therapy

How did experts in post-war Europe understand violence? This book examines the approaches of psychiatrists and psychologists to violent behaviour and criminality in three different societies – communist Czechoslovakia, West Germany and Great Britain between 1945 and 1970. Through an analysis of forensic science and psychiatric reports, it traces how war experiences, contemporary mentalities, social status and ethnicity were reflected in the assessment of human behaviour and the definition of the boundaries of criminal responsibility. The comparison across the Iron Curtain reveals not only differences, but also shared hopes placed in science as a tool for shaping humanity and society.