THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR SOCIAL DEFENSE IS FOUNDED ON THE BELIEF THAT THE PERSONALITY OF OFFENDERS AND THEIR REHABILITATION ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE OFFENSES THEMSELVES. THIS ORGANIZATION STRIVES TO PROTECT SOCIETY AND INDIVIDUALS FROM CRIME WHILE OPPOSING THE CONCEPT OF PUNISHMENT AS REVENGE. THE THEME OF THE NINTH REUNION OF INTERNATIONAL CRIMINOLOGISTS WAS BUILT AROUND THOSE GROUPS OF THE POPULATION WHICH HAVE INFERIOR OR NO SOCIAL TASKS IN A GIVEN SOCIETY. A DEFINITION AND EXAMPLES OF MARGINAL GROUPS WERE DISCUSSED. METHODS BY WHICH SOCIETY IMPOSES MARGINAL STATUS ON A MINORITY (OR EVEN MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION AS IN THE SLUM CITIES OF SOUTH AMERICA) WERE ANALYZED. THE THEORY THAT THE PROBLEMS OF MARGINAL GROUPS CAN ONLY BE SOLVED THROUGH A CORRESPONDING OVERTHROW OF THE BOURGEOIS-CAPITALIST SYSTEM DID NOT FIND UNDIVIDED AGREEMENT. CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES WERE CRITICIZED AS HIGHLY INADEQUATE MEANS OF DEALING WITH THE CRIME PROBLEMS OF MARGINAL GROUPS. A SOCIOPSYCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS TRACED THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUTSIDER FEELINGS IN THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUAL OFFENDERS. IN CONCLUSION, THE CONGRESS URGED TOLERANCE IN PUNISHING THE OFFENSES OF MARGINAL GROUPS AGAINST PREVALENT NORMS AND LAWS. THE SUMMARY CONTAINS NO ANNOTATIONS OR BIBLIOGRAPHY. --IN GERMAN. (SAJ)