Among intellectuals the proper relationship between knowledge and power has been debated since antiquity. With the rise of Communism, Fascism and Nazism intellectual pursuits of all kinds seemed to become politicized by necessity. A common strategy then — as it still is — was however to claim that the pursuit of knowledge is by its very nature unpolitical. The ideological circumstances of the interwar era and the Second World War in fact made claims of apolitical knowledge production very political indeed. Such claims were common among intellectuals with a positive view of German developments. Some of them argued not only that knowledge production should be politically impartial but also that developments in the Third Reich should be viewed impartially (in contrast to politicized criticism from e.g. the left). Such discourses implicitly connected unpolitical knowledge making with anti-democratic tendencies.
Relations between NS Germany and other countries have been extensively investigated in some areas (foreign policy, economics etc.). As for intellectual and scientific connections with Germany, research has been more neglected. The aim of this symposium is to gather scholars working on relations between ”pro-German” (i.e. with a positive view of the Hitler regime) intellectuals outside of Germany, among themselves and with German colleagues, during the Nazi era. In particular we are interested in discussing how intellectual pursuits were shaped in interactions with the academic system in NS Germany (e.g. through Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst or Deutsches Wissenschaftliches Institut) where scientific and cultural exchange was viewed as part and parcel of ”cultural propaganda”.
The symposium will investigate views on knowledge and politics among ”pro-German” intellectuals through a comparative approach. We presume that positive views on the Hitler regime were indicative of a broader discontent with democracy that, among other things, represented an alternative approach to modernization that was not limited to the German heartlands.
Keynote speakers at the symposium are: PD Dr. Susanne Heim, Institut für Zeitgeschichte München – Berlin and Professor Mark Walker, Union College, Schenectady, NY .
We welcome proposals for papers on the following topics that we think are suitable for discussion from a comparative perspective. Other themes within the broader frame of the symposium are also welcomed.
- Networks of ”pro-German” intellectuals. Judging by the Swedish case, pro-German scientists, journalists, and other intellectuals tended to congregate in networks that spanned various professions, and that were manifested e.g. through the creation of organizations, through publishing ventures, and not least through personal friendship. Such networks are at the empirical core when investigating the movement we are interested in.
- Ideological commonalities. Unsurprisingly anti-democratic tendencies seem to have been common among ”pro-German” intellectuals, as were political views informed by strong nationalist or eugenic (not necessarily explicitly anti-Semitic) sentiments. It is hoped the symposium will help broaden the understanding of the intellectual radical right through discussions of a wider gamut of common ideological denominators among this group.
- Exchange and Propaganda. Exchange between Germany and other countries was of central concern to the regime and to ”pro-German” intellectuals in other countries. Reasons for exchange included the usual ones – the need to keep up with developments in science and culture, forge collaborations etc. But exchange was also justified and shaped by ”cultural propaganda”. How such exchange was played out is an important topic for cross-national comparison as it would reflect on the relationship between local intellectual cultures and broader political concerns (not least those of foreign policy).
- Views on knowledge and knowledge production. A common critique from democratically minded intellectuals directed against the Nazi regime was that it was anti-intellectual and that it undermined the credibility of German science and culture. Such matters constituted an essentially contested problem area for the regime as well as its friends abroad. Strategies for handling this matter included attempts to de-politicize knowledge production using a rhetoric of non-political science, non-political journalism etc.
- The ”Jewish question”. Anti-Semitic persecution hit the intellectual professions immediately after the NSDAP seizure of power and immediately affected academic exchange. One goal of Nazi cultural propaganda was to diminish the effects of anti-Semitic policies on the international status of German science and culture. The Swedish case indicates that in matters pertaining to intellectual exchange the Jewish question was handled mostly through a ”policy of silence”.
Practical information
The symposium takes place at Uppsala University December 8-9, 2016 (two full days). Information about venue and other practicalities will be given in a second call.
Abstracts of 200-300 words should be submitted no later than May 1, 2016, to Sebastian Hoas, sebastian.hoas@gmail.com. Please provide full name, institutional affiliation, and contact details. The maximum number of papers is 25. By June 1, 2016 applicants will be notified if their papers have been accepted or not.
The symposium, including lunches, dinner and accommodation (two nights) is free of charge. It may be possible to obtain economic support for travel expenses. Please indicate in the application if such support is required for attendance and what level of support (not more than EUR300) is needed.
The conference language is English.
The symposium is arranged by the Department of History of Science and Ideas at Uppsala University. It is organized as part of an ongoing research project on intellectual relations between Sweden and Germany during the Nazi period, financed by the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation.
Welcome!
Maria Björkman, Olof Ljungström, Patrik Lundell & Sven Widmalm
