Wir haben abgetrieben! ("We've had abortions!") was the headline on the cover of the West German magazine Stern on 6 June 1971.[1] 374 women, some, but not all, of whom had a high public profile, publicly stated that they had had pregnancies terminated, which at that time was illegal.[2]
The action was triggered by the feminist (and founder, some years later, of the feminist magazine EMMA) Alice Schwarzer;[3] it targeted Paragraph 218 of the country's penal code (Strafgesetzbuch). It is viewed by many as a milestone in the feminist revival of the 1970s.[2][3]
In addition to the eye-catching headline, the magazine cover incorporated pictures of 28 of the better known participants. These included the journalist Carola Stern and the actresses Senta Berger, Veruschka von Lehndorff, Ursula Noack, Romy Schneider, Sabine Sinjen, Vera Tschechowa, Lis Verhoeven, Hanne Wieder, and Helga Anders. The event caused a particular sensation in West Germany, because it broke the silence on public discussion of abortion. It was followed by the founding of several feminist groups, and it provided a focus for opposition to Paragraph 218 of the penal code until 1992, when the legal position changed following German reunification.
- ^ "Stern 6 June 1971 (the cover)".
- ^ a b Thomas Grossbölting (2013). Der verlorene Himmel: Glaube in Deutschland seit 1945. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen. ISBN 978-3-525-30040-4.
- ^ a b Alice Schwarzer (4 June 2001). ""Ich bereue nichts" – Vor 30 Jahren initiierte die Feministin die Aktion "Wir haben abgetrieben"". Tickermeldung ddp-Interview. FrauenMediaTurm, Köln. Retrieved 31 August 2015.