Eugen Fischer

Eugen Fischer

Eugen Fischer (5 July 1874 – 9 July 1967) was a German professor of medicine, anthropology, and eugenics, and a member of the Nazi Party. He is known for his work in the field of racial hygiene, the study of human heredity, and for his role in the scientific racism that provided a justification for the Holocaust. Fischer's research and theories had a significant influence on Nazi ideology, particularly on the development of the Nuremberg Laws, which institutionalized racial discrimination against Jews and other minority groups in Germany.

Early Life and Education

Eugen Fischer was born in Karlsruhe, Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany. He studied medicine, biology, and anthropology at the University of Freiburg, the University of Munich, and the University of Berlin. After completing his studies, Fischer focused on anthropology and human genetics, areas that would form the core of his later work.

Career

In 1908, Fischer conducted a study of the so-called "Rehoboth Bastards" in German South West Africa (now Namibia), a mixed-race community of the offspring of German or Boer settlers and indigenous African women. His work, The Rehoboth Bastards and the Problem of Miscegenation among Humans (Die Rehobother Bastards und das Bastardierungsproblem beim Menschen), argued against racial mixing, claiming that it led to degeneration. This study laid the groundwork for his future contributions to racial hygiene and eugenics.

Fischer became a professor of anthropology at the University of Freiburg in 1918. In 1927, he was appointed the director of the newly founded Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Anthropology, Human Heredity, and Eugenics in Berlin, where he worked until his retirement in 1942. During his tenure, Fischer mentored many students who would go on to play significant roles in the implementation of Nazi racial policy.

Nazi Involvement and Ideology

Fischer's work was instrumental in the development of Nazi racial theory. He was a member of the Nazi Party and held positions that allowed him to influence policy and legislation related to racial hygiene. Fischer's theories on race and genetics were used to justify the sterilization of individuals deemed racially or genetically "inferior" and were a component of the ideological framework that led to the Holocaust.

Legacy

Eugen Fischer's legacy is controversial. While his contributions to genetics and anthropology were significant, his work is overshadowed by his involvement with the Nazi regime and his promotion of scientific racism. The ethical implications of his research and the use of his findings to justify atrocities have led to a critical reevaluation of his role in the history of science.

Selected Works

• The Rehoboth Bastards and the Problem of Miscegenation among Humans (1913)
• Principles of Human Heredity and Race Hygiene (with Erwin Baur and Fritz Lenz, 1921)

See Also

• Racial hygiene
• Nazi eugenics
• Scientific racism
• Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Anthropology, Human Heredity, and Eugenics