[The pathologist and "short-term rector" Albert Dietrich (1873-1961) and his ambivalent relationship with the Nazi regime : Not Nazi enough? German version]

[Political follower or loyal National Socialist? : On the role of former DGP President Herbert Siegmund (1892-1954) in the Third Reich. German version]

BACKGROUND

Herbert Siegmund (1892-1954) was undoubtedly one of the most influential German pathologists of the 20th century. He received numerous high honors both during the Third Reich and after 1945. He was, among other things, rector of the University of Münster (1943-1945), holder of the Goethe Medal awarded by Hitler (1944), honorary doctor of the University of Cologne (1949), recipient of the Paracelsus Medal (1953), and president of the German Society for Pathology (DGP, 1954). The almost seamless post-war career was possible above all because Siegmund was counted among the politically uninvolved university physicians after 1945. It was not until after the turn of the millennium that this picture cracked.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The article is based on primary sources from the state archives of Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia, the University Archives of Münster, the Federal Archives of Berlin, the University Archives of Cologne, and the City Archives of Stuttgart, some of which were evaluated for the first time. Two questions are at the center of this article: (1) To what extent can it be proven that Siegmund benefited from the Nazi state in terms of his career after 1933? (2) Are there indications that he served the Nazi regime and its networks? In addition, we will discuss how Siegmund himself described his role in the Third Reich and whether his statements stand up to critical scrutiny.

RESULTS

The paper concludes that Siegmund contributed to valorizing the Nazi system. After 1945, he did not position himself at a critical distance from his activities in the Third Reich; rather, he drew of himself - largely unopposed - the image of a politically blameless scholar.

[Virchow medallists and honorary members of the German Society for Pathology and their relationship with National Socialism : A cross-sectional study. German version]

The present study focuses on the group of pathologists who (1) were appointed honorary members or bearers of the Rudolf Virchow Medal by the German Society for Pathology (DGP) and (2) experienced the "Third Reich" as a citizen of the "Third Reich". In particular, it examines the relationship between those distinguished persons and National Socialism, and, at the same time, the criteria of the professional society when awarding such honours. Specifically, it is important to clarify what role the DGP officials ascribed to the political stance or experience of the candidates in the Nazi dictatorship during the selection process: were there victims of the Nazis among the honourees whose repressive experiences and personal fates were intended to be acknowledged in this way? Of equal interest is the counter-question: were pathologists honoured who had made (party)political commitments to National Socialism during the "Third Reich"?A total of 9 Virchow medallists and 3 honorary members met the inclusion criteria. None of those affected belonged to the group of pathologists who suffered injustice during the "Third Reich" or who could be described as victims of the Nazis. On the other hand, 4 of the 9 German Virchow medal winners and 1 of the 3 honorary members had joined the National Socialist Party and to some extent other Nazi organisations. Obviously, previous closeness to National Socialism was not a decisive factor in the selection of honorary members and Virchow medallists and, in particular, was not an exclusion criterion.The aforementioned results correspond to the findings of a parallel study, in which the political past of the German DGP chairmen appointed up to 1986 was examined. This showed that two thirds of them had joined the National Socialist Party during the "Third Reich".

Virchow medallists and honorary members of the German Society of Pathology and their relationship with National Socialism : A cross-sectional study

The present study focuses on the group of pathologists who (1) were appointed honorary members or bearers of the Rudolf Virchow Medal by the German Society for Pathology (DGP) and (2) experienced the Third Reich as a citizen of the Third Reich. In particular, it examines the relationship between those distinguished persons and National Socialism, and, at the same time, the criteria of the professional society when awarding such honors. Specifically, it is important to clarify what role the DGP officials ascribed to the political stance or experience of the candidates in the Nazi dictatorship during the selection process: were there victims of the Nazis among the honorees whose repressive experiences and personal fates were intended to be acknowledged in this way? Of equal interest is the counter-question: were pathologists honored who had made (party) political commitments to National Socialism during the Third Reich?A total of nine Virchow medallists and three honorary members met the inclusion criteria. None of those affected belonged to the group of pathologists who suffered injustice during the Third Reich or who could be described as victims of the Nazis. On the other hand, four of the nine German Virchow medal winners and one of the three honorary members had joined the National Socialist Party and to some extent other Nazi organisations. Obviously, previous closeness to National Socialism was not a decisive factor in the selection of honorary members and Virchow medallists and, in particular, was not an exclusion criterion.The aforementioned results correspond to the findings of a parallel study, in which the political past of the German DGP chairmen appointed up to 1986 was examined. This showed that two thirds of them had joined the National Socialist Party during the Third Reich.

Erich Letterer (1895-1982): Life and work with special attention to his role in the Third Reich

Erich Letterer (1895-1982) is without any doubt one of the most renowned German pathologists of the 20th century. As the eponym of the "Letterer-Siwe disease" and as a pioneer in the field of immunopathology, he made his mark in medical history. Less well known is the fact that Letterer achieved the decisive career step - the call to a full professorship - in the Third Reich, at the explicit request of authoritative National Socialists. In post-war Germany, on the other hand, Letterer was considered a politically unencumbered, honorable scientist. But how do these findings fit together? Did Letterer serve the Nazi regime or did he achieve his high positions despite a politically unbending, straightforward attitude? These questions are the main focus of the present article, which also traces Letterer's academic career and oeuvre. The paper is based on primary sources from various federal and regional archives, most of which have been evaluated for the first time; they have been compared and supplemented with the existing secondary literature. It concludes that Letterer was politically loyal during the Nazi era - as evidenced by memberships in various Nazi organizations - and that he enjoyed political support. Letterer's self-image of a politically aloof, blameless scholar does not agree with the sources. However, Letterer did not belong to those university lecturers who owed their career in the Third Reich mainly to political reasons. Rather, he was a renowned pathologist and scientist who also proved to be politically reliable in the decisive phase of his career.

[The Jewish oral pathologist Bernhard Gottlieb (1885-1950) and his scientific "uprooting" in the Third Reich. German version]

When Adolf Hitler annexed Austria to the German Reich in 1938, the famous Jewish oral pathologist Bernhard Gottlieb was in great distress. The Viennese university teacher immediately lost his employment and teaching authority and was forced to emigrate.While Gottlieb's exceptional scientific position in oral pathology is well documented, the complex implications of his deprivation of rights and forced emigration in the Third Reich have so far received little attention. Against this background, the present contribution poses the question of the concrete effects of this drastic event on Gottlieb's life and work.In order to clarify this question, Gottlieb's career status, his scientific success up to 1938, the concrete background of his forced emigration, as well as the further course of his life and career in the USA (his immigration country) are scrutinized. In addition, the paper analyzes the extent to which Gottlieb was able to build on his professional career after 1945 and posthumously. The work is based on a thorough analysis of Gottlieb's academic career using archival sources and a re-analysis of the relevant research literature.The study concludes that Gottlieb suffered a severe setback after his emigration. Several reasons played a role. In particular, cultural and age-related adjustment problems, difficult local conditions, and scarce financial resources hampered the seamless continuation of Gottlieb's career in the USA. Only in the last two decades have efforts been made, particularly in the environment of the University of Vienna, to bring Bernhard Gottlieb and his scientific achievements back into collective memory.

German pathologist Walter Büngeler (1900-1987)-Nazi victim or political influencer in Brazil?

One of the most wellknown German pathologists of the twentieth century, Walter Büngeler became internationally known for his elemental research on leukemia and the pathology of tumors. In 1936, Büngeler left Nazi Germany for Brazil, but returned to Germany in 1942. After the war ended in 1945, Büngeler portrayed himself as a political victim who had been expelled first by the National Socialists and later by the Brazilian government, and in fact, he was able to successfully perpetuate this image and emerged unscathed from his de-Nazification procedure, continuing on to a successful university career with stations in Kiel and Munich as both professor and dean, as well as a term as DGP president. Up until very recently, Büngeler was portrayed in literature as a victim and critic of Nazism. Does this self-portrayal stand up to a critical examination of the facts? It is precisely this question that is the focus of this article. The analysis draws upon primary sources; namely, Büngeler's own claims from a curriculum vitae filled out in 1943 as well as his de-Nazification file from the post-war period. This article exposes significant contradictions between these two sources. The statements Büngeler made in his de-Nazification file can be verified as false in all relevant aspects. Nevertheless, Büngeler managed to create a wide-reaching and successful version of himself; a picture which persisted until only very recently.

Political follower or loyal National Socialist? : On the role of former DGP President Herbert Siegmund (1892-1954) in the Third Reich

BACKGROUND

Herbert Siegmund (1892-1954) was undoubtedly one of the most influential German pathologists of the 20th century. He received numerous high honors both during the Third Reich and after 1945. He was, among other things, rector of the University of Münster (1943-1945), holder of the Goethe Medal awarded by Hitler (1944), honorary doctor of the University of Cologne (1949), recipient of the Paracelsus Medal (1953), and president of the German Society for Pathology (DGP, 1954). The almost seamless post-war career was possible above all because Siegmund was counted among the politically uninvolved university physicians after 1945. It was not until after the turn of the millennium that this picture cracked.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The article is based on primary sources from the State Archives of Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia, the University Archives of Münster, the Federal Archives of Berlin, the University Archives of Cologne, and the City Archives of Stuttgart, some of which were evaluated for the first time. Two questions are at the center of this article: (1) To what extent can it be proven that Siegmund benefited from the Nazi state in terms of his career after 1933? (2) Are there indications that he served the Nazi regime and its networks? In addition, we will discuss how Siegmund himself described his role in the Third Reich and whether his statements stand up to critical scrutiny.

RESULTS

The paper concludes that Siegmund contributed to valorizing the Nazi system. After 1945, he did not position himself at a critical distance from his activities in the Third Reich; rather, he drew of himself - largely unopposed - the image of a politically blameless scholar.

The Jewish oral pathologist Bernhard Gottlieb (1885-1950) and his scientific "uprooting" in the Third Reich

When Adolf Hitler annexed Austria to the German Reich in 1938, the famous Jewish oral pathologist Bernhard Gottlieb was in great distress. The Viennese university teacher immediately lost his employment and teaching authority and was forced to emigrate.While Gottlieb's exceptional scientific position in oral pathology is well documented, the complex implications of his deprivation of rights and forced emigration in the Third Reich have so far received little attention. Against this background, the present contribution poses the question of the concrete effects of this drastic event on Gottlieb's life and work.In order to clarify this question, Gottlieb's career status, his scientific success up to 1938, the concrete background of his forced emigration, as well as the further course of his life and career in the USA (his immigration country) are scrutinized. In addition, the paper analyzes the extent to which Gottlieb was able to build on his professional career after 1945 and posthumously. The work is based on a thorough analysis of Gottlieb's academic career using archival sources and a re-analysis of the relevant research literature.The study concludes that Gottlieb suffered a severe setback after his emigration. Several reasons played a role. In particular, cultural and age-related adjustment problems, difficult local conditions, and scarce financial resources hampered the seamless continuation of Gottlieb's career in the USA. Only in the last two decades have efforts been made, particularly in the environment of the University of Vienna, to bring Bernhard Gottlieb and his scientific achievements back into collective memory.