Universität zu Köln

Martin, Michael, Karenberg, Axel and Fangerau, Heiner (2020). Otfrid Foerster (1873-1941) and his ambivalent attitude towards National Socialism. Nervenarzt, 91 (SUPPL 1). S. 22 - 29. NEW YORK: SPRINGER. ISSN 1433-0407

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Abstract

When Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of the Reich Otfrid Foerster was almost 60 years old and an internationally renowned neurologist, neurosurgeon and a pioneer of localization research. Since 1922 he held the chair of neurology in Breslau (Wroclaw) and from 1925 to 1932 he was president (later honorary president) of the first Society of German Neurologists. In 1934 his Neurological Research Institute in Breslau was inaugurated. Biographical studies have unanimously established that he has never been a member of the party, that he found himself promptly marginalized after 1933 within his own ranks, and that he never participated in eugenic measures or euthanasia activities. A re-reading and analysis of his relevant papers and publications on neurology reveal however reverences paid to the Nazi state, which are surprising in this clarity. A possible explanation for Foerster's overall ambivalent attitude, he was married to a non-Aryan woman (in Nazi jargon), is the threat posed to his relatives by Nazi racial hygiene laws. On the other hand, there are clear indications of his conservative German national patriotism encouraging and supporting a restrengthened state and the National Socialist vision of the German Reich as a great power. Further investigations will have to show how the numerous influential factors that had a bearing on his biographical characteristics, political attitude, medical research interests and private motivation should be weighted.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Martin, Michael UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Karenberg, Axel UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Fangerau, Heiner UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-346983
DOI:	10.1007/s00115-019-00840-9
Journal or Publication Title:	Nervenarzt
Volume:	91
Number:	SUPPL 1
Page Range:	S. 22 - 29
Date:	2020
Publisher:	SPRINGER
Place of Publication:	NEW YORK
ISSN:	1433-0407
Language:	German
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language GERMAN NEUROSURGERY; HISTORY Multiple languages Clinical Neurology; Psychiatry Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/34698