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From the 1920s, children in Switzerland were psychiatrically examined in observation wards. In many cases, these medical reports were linked to the placement of children in homes and foster families. Focusing on a specific case study of the observation institution Stephansburg in Zurich in 1944, this paper retraces the genesis of a child psychiatric report, identifying patterns by which the experts dealt with narratives of teachers, parents or school doctors. At a closer look, tests and medical examinations were not necessarily committed to a strictly scientific approach. The case study analysed in this paper indicates that experts in child psychiatry did not always apply expert knowledge when preparing their opinion. Rather, they resorted to a selection of aspects alien to psychiatry but suitable to satisfy the interests of the contracting authority., Österreichische Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaften, Bd. 31 Nr. 3 (2020): Gutachten / Begutachtete

The Therapeutic Pedagogy Ward assumed a central position within the Viennese welfare system soon after its opening in 1911. The minors being observed were thought to be “difficult”, “neglected” or suffering from mental or physical disabilities. Some were admitted to assess their (intellectual) abilities and released with an expert report either on how to further treat or where to place them. By analysing expert opinions from 1912 to the 1970s, this paper examines the cooperation of the institutions involved in this endeavour. For that purpose, it not only studies the contents of these expert opinions but focuses on language, shedding light on acceptance, understanding and appropriation of therapeutic pedagogic concepts in related disciplines. Thus, by investigating the practice of categorizing individuality, this article highlights common forms of typing in therapeutic pedagogy and its importance beyond the narrow institutional setting., Österreichische Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaften, Bd. 31 Nr. 3 (2020): Gutachten / Begutachtete