Background <p>The beginnings of medical child protection can be traced back to the 1960s, when the German pediatric association split into separate associations in East and West Germany.</p> Objective <p>Comparative study of the historical development of child protection since the 1960s in both German states. Initially, the differences in approach to violence in family upbringing and schooling between East and West Germany will be outlined.</p> Material and methods <p>The discourse during the early establishment of child protection is compared on the basis of the official publications of the two German professional associations, <i>Monatsschrift für Kinderheilkunde</i> for the German Society for Pediatrics (Federal Republic of Germany, FRG) and <i>Kinderärztliche Praxis</i> for the Society for Pediatrics in the German Democratic Republic (GDR).</p> Results <p>Medical child protection in West Germany was based on the principle of “help instead of punishment”. However, child protection in East Germany focused by means of an early mandatory reporting law therefore&#xa0;not only on providing assistance to affected children, but also on punishing perpetrators of child abuse.</p> Conclusion <p>The development of medical child protection provides an example of significant differences between the state systems in East and West Germany.</p>