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Varför sterilisera? En komparativ studie av fortplantningshindrande åtgärder mot sinnessjuka m.fl. i Sverige och Danmark

Jannesson, Elin LU (2025) LAGF03 20251
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
Sterilisation was permitted by law for the first time in both Sweden and Den-mark during the early 20th century. Before that, the medical marriage impediment was the main arrangement made in the respective countries to inhibit reproduction amongst certain groups. This essay’s purpose is to clarify the motives behind the implementation of sterilisation as a reproduction inhibiting measure. The legal historical method, in combination with the legal dogmatic method, has been used to map out the legislative chain and the contents of the laws from the early 1900-hundreds. The historical material has been used as the basis of the comparative analysis with the aim of finding similarities or differences in the reasonings behind the laws.
The... (More)
Sterilisation was permitted by law for the first time in both Sweden and Den-mark during the early 20th century. Before that, the medical marriage impediment was the main arrangement made in the respective countries to inhibit reproduction amongst certain groups. This essay’s purpose is to clarify the motives behind the implementation of sterilisation as a reproduction inhibiting measure. The legal historical method, in combination with the legal dogmatic method, has been used to map out the legislative chain and the contents of the laws from the early 1900-hundreds. The historical material has been used as the basis of the comparative analysis with the aim of finding similarities or differences in the reasonings behind the laws.
The introduction of sterilisation in law was in Sweden considered an additional measure taken to ensure the full effect of the medical marriage impediment. In Denmark, on the other hand, legalising sterilisation was mainly argued to be an effective tool for crime prevention. Despite the difference in political arguments the laws ended up with strikingly similar wording and purposes. The tendency to find inspiration in the neighbouring countries legislative solutions can be related back to the extensive Nordic legislative cooperative work which, amongst other things, reformed marriage law in the Nordic countries.
Both the medical marriage impediment and the sterilisation was targeting the same group of persons and focused primarily on institutionalized people. Institutionalisation was considered the primary solution for a range of different problems but was financially demanding for the states to uphold. Aside from the economic motive, the laws were primarily motivated by eugenic and social reasonings. The social reasonings were founded on ideas of a creating a better future through eugenic methods.
The medical marriage impediment and the sterilisation became tools which the governments used to tackle the widespread societal problems that were considered preventing the countries from becoming welfare states. The ambition to evolve was done on the expense of the groups of people which according to the laws were substandard and burdensome to society. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Under tidigt 1900-tal tilläts för första gången sterilisering enligt lag i både Sverige och Danmark. Steriliseringen var den andra åtgärden efter det medicinska äktenskapshindret som infördes för att stävja vissa gruppers fortplantning. Uppsatsen syftar till att utreda vilka motiv som låg bakom införandet av de fortplantningshindrande åtgärderna. En rättshistorisk metod har använts för att kartlägga lagstiftningen från det tidiga 1900-talet samt kompletterats med den rättsdogmatiska metoden i valet av källor. Det historiska materialet har utgjort grunden för en komparativ analys av ländernas respektive lagreglering för att utreda om motiven skilde sig åt länderna emellan, vilken gjorts med stöd av komparativ juridisk metod.
I Sverige... (More)
Under tidigt 1900-tal tilläts för första gången sterilisering enligt lag i både Sverige och Danmark. Steriliseringen var den andra åtgärden efter det medicinska äktenskapshindret som infördes för att stävja vissa gruppers fortplantning. Uppsatsen syftar till att utreda vilka motiv som låg bakom införandet av de fortplantningshindrande åtgärderna. En rättshistorisk metod har använts för att kartlägga lagstiftningen från det tidiga 1900-talet samt kompletterats med den rättsdogmatiska metoden i valet av källor. Det historiska materialet har utgjort grunden för en komparativ analys av ländernas respektive lagreglering för att utreda om motiven skilde sig åt länderna emellan, vilken gjorts med stöd av komparativ juridisk metod.
I Sverige infördes sterilisering som en ytterligare åtgärd för att ge det medicinska äktenskapshindret full verkan, medan steriliseringen i Danmark motiverades av brottspreventiva skäl. Trots de olika politiska motiveringarna så fick steriliseringslagarna mycket liknande formuleringar. Tendensen att snegla över sundet kan hänföras till det genomgripande nordiska lagstiftningssamarbetet som bland annat reformerade äktenskapsrätten under 1910-talet.
Både det medicinska äktenskapshindret och steriliseringen avsåg samma grupper av personer och var till en början fokuserat på personer intagna på anstalt. Anstaltsvård ansågs vara den primära åtgärden för diverse problem, men det var förenat med höga kostnader. Utöver de ekonomiska skälen motiverades steriliseringen i båda länder främst av rashygieniska och sociala skäl. De sociala skälen syftade till samhällsförbättringar som skulle nås genom rashygieniskt motiverade metoder.
Det medicinska äktenskapshindret och steriliseringen blev statliga verktyg som användes för att få bukt på de samhälleliga problemen som ansågs stå emellan samtiden och den önskade välfärdsstaten. Strävan efter välfärdsstaten skedde på bekostnad av de grupper som av lagarna utpekats som undermåliga och samhällsbelastande. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Jannesson, Elin LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20251
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Familjerätt, komparativ rätt, rättshistoria, sterilisering, danmark, medicinskt äktenskapshinder
language
Swedish
id
9190297
date added to LUP
2025-06-23 13:01:11
date last changed
2025-06-23 13:01:11
@misc{9190297,
  abstract     = {{Sterilisation was permitted by law for the first time in both Sweden and Den-mark during the early 20th century. Before that, the medical marriage impediment was the main arrangement made in the respective countries to inhibit reproduction amongst certain groups. This essay’s purpose is to clarify the motives behind the implementation of sterilisation as a reproduction inhibiting measure. The legal historical method, in combination with the legal dogmatic method, has been used to map out the legislative chain and the contents of the laws from the early 1900-hundreds. The historical material has been used as the basis of the comparative analysis with the aim of finding similarities or differences in the reasonings behind the laws.
The introduction of sterilisation in law was in Sweden considered an additional measure taken to ensure the full effect of the medical marriage impediment. In Denmark, on the other hand, legalising sterilisation was mainly argued to be an effective tool for crime prevention. Despite the difference in political arguments the laws ended up with strikingly similar wording and purposes. The tendency to find inspiration in the neighbouring countries legislative solutions can be related back to the extensive Nordic legislative cooperative work which, amongst other things, reformed marriage law in the Nordic countries. 
Both the medical marriage impediment and the sterilisation was targeting the same group of persons and focused primarily on institutionalized people. Institutionalisation was considered the primary solution for a range of different problems but was financially demanding for the states to uphold. Aside from the economic motive, the laws were primarily motivated by eugenic and social reasonings. The social reasonings were founded on ideas of a creating a better future through eugenic methods. 
The medical marriage impediment and the sterilisation became tools which the governments used to tackle the widespread societal problems that were considered preventing the countries from becoming welfare states. The ambition to evolve was done on the expense of the groups of people which according to the laws were substandard and burdensome to society.}},
  author       = {{Jannesson, Elin}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Varför sterilisera? En komparativ studie av fortplantningshindrande åtgärder mot sinnessjuka m.fl. i Sverige och Danmark}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}