Abortions | Abortion ban: The chief physician who sues his employer

What an oppressive feeling that must be. Knowing: I could help. And knowing: I can't. It was the beginning of March when a pregnant woman contacted Joachim Volz, the head of gynecology at Lippstadt Hospital. She had previously learned that her fetus was missing a large part of its brain - the chances of survival were zero. A classic case for abortion for medical reasons, routine for Volz. Actually. If only the city's Protestant and Catholic hospitals hadn't been merged shortly beforehand. Since then, the "labor law of the Catholic Church" has applied at Lippstadt Hospital. And that means: abortions only in cases of acute danger to life .

For the gynecologist, this is incompatible with his conscience: Women should be able to decide about their bodies – not the church. Volz is taking his employer to court. If the labor court rules against him in July, he intends to appeal to the next instance, if necessary, all the way to the Federal Labor Court.

It's an important fight that the 67-year-old is taking up at the end of his eventful working life. Volz spent time in a clinic in Namibia, in the military-restricted zone near Angola; helped build two hospitals in Kashmir; and trained Libyan and Pakistani doctors. In 2012, he and his wife founded a fertility center in Bielefeld.

Most recently, Volz prepared for a foray into federal politics: He ran for direct candidacy for the Bundestag in the Bielefeld constituency in 2024, but was unsuccessful. The party may come as a surprise: Like the hospital, it has the word "Christian" in its name.