The Nazi Ancestral Proof: Genealogy, Racial Science, and the Final Solution

265 Pages·2007·5.07 MB·English

by  Eric Ehrenreich

EuropEan history
holocaust
ERIc EHRENREIcH holds a law degree from E “A fascinating study which
h
the University of california, Davis, and a Ph.D. r
will contribute to the general
E
in history from the University of Wisconsin–
n
Madison. Dr. Ehrenreich has received r the nazi understanding of how a
E
numerous academic honors, including a ic technologically advanced,
Fulbright fellowship, a Berlin Program for h
sophisticated German people were
Advanced German and European Studies traces the origins and
fellowship, a George L. Mosse Wisconsin ancestral proof capable of complying with many of
Distinguished Graduate Fellowship, and
t the racial policies instituted by the
the Douglas and carol cohen Postdoctoral implementation of the
Fellowship at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial h National Socialist regime.”
Museum’s center for Advanced Holocaust e —Beth A. Griech-Polelle, author of Bishop von Galen:
Studies. He has lectured on Nazi racial policy method by which one proved German Catholicism and National Socialism
Genealogy, racial science, and the Final solution
throughout the United States and has also
n
taught courses on racism and Nazi science “A groundbreaking work in the history
at the University of Wisconsin and George “racial acceptability”
a
of state-institutionalized racism in
Mason University. He currently practices law in
Washington, D.c. z Nazi Germany that shows, once again,
in nazi Germany i
that most Germans willingly accepted

a
the racial state of Nazi Germany.”
n
—Aaron Gillette, author of Radical Theories
in Fascist Italy
c
e How could Germans, inhabitants of the most
scientifically advanced nation in the world in
s
the early twentieth century, have espoused the
t inherently unscientific racist doctrines put
r forward by the Nazi leadership? Eric Ehrenreich
a traces the widespread acceptance of Nazi policies
requiring German individuals to prove their
l
Aryan ancestry to the popularity of ideas about

p eugenics and racial science that were advanced
in the late Imperial and Weimar periods by
r
INDIANA practitioners of genealogy and eugenics. After
o
the enactment of Nazi racial laws in the 1930s,
University Press the Reich Genealogical Authority, employing
o
professional genealogists, became the providers
Bloomington & Indianapolis
f and arbiters of the ancestral proof. This is
http://iupress.indiana.edu the first detailed study of the operation of
1-800-842-6796 the ancestral proof in the Third Reich and
the link between Nazi racism and earlier
German genealogical practices. The widespread
Jacket illustrations: Otmar von Verschuer, ca. 1930, courtesy
acceptance of this racist ideology by ordinary
of the Library and Archives of the Max Planck Society; INDIANA
Ahnenpass, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Germans helped create the conditions for the
Final Solution.
Eric EhrEnrEich
The Nazi
aNcesTral
Proof
The Na zi
a Nce sTr a l
Proof
Genealogy, Racial Science, and the Final Solution
eric ehrenreich
Indiana University Press
Bloomington and indianapolis
This book is a publication of
indiana University Press
601 North Morton street
Bloomington, iN 47404-3797 Usa
http://iupress.indiana.edu
Telephone orders 800-842-6796
Fax orders 812-855-7931
Orders by e-mail [email protected]
© 2007 by eric ehrenreich
all rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The association of american
University Presses’ resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition.
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of american National
standard for information sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed library Materials, aNsi
z39.48-1984.
Manufactured in the United states of america
library of congress cataloging-in-Publication Data
ehrenreich, eric.
The Nazi ancestral proof : genealogy, racial science, and the final solution / eric ehrenreich.
p. cm.
includes bibliographical references and index.
isBN-13: 978-0-253-34945-3 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. National socialism and genealogy. 2.
eugenics—Government policy—Germany—history—20th century. 3. race discrimination—
Germany—history—20th century. 4. Germany—Politics and government—1933–1945. 5.
Germany—Politics and government—1918–1933. i. Title.
DD256.7.e335 2007
940.53'1811—dc22
2007010547
1 2 3 4 5 12 11 10 09 08 07
Book design: David alcorn, alcorn Publication Design
For my parents William Ehrenreich ל” ז
and Edith Ehrenreich,
and my daughter
Ariel Gill-Ehrenreich.

contents
acknowledgments ix
introduction xi
list of abbreviations xix
1. racial science 1
2. The origins of racist eugenics in imperial Germany 14
3. The spread of racist eugenics in Weimar 33
4. Making the ancestral Proof in Nazi Germany 58
5. The reich Genealogical authority and its Tasks 78
6. The reich Genealogical authority and the ancestral Proof 94
7. Three Beneficiaries of the ancestral Proof 121
8. other Means of Generating acceptance of racism 150
9. racial scientific ideology and the holocaust 165
conclusion 173
Notes 177
Bibliography 215
index 225

acknowledgments
i
am indebted to many persons without whose help this book simply would not
have been possible. it is a pleasure to be able to thank them here. first and foremost,
i would like to express my gratitude to David sorkin who was an invaluable source
of advice and support during my work on this book. David exemplifies all the best
qualities of a scholar, and i can only hope that this work lives up to the high standard
that he sets. i am also indebted to rudy Koshar, stanley Payne, and laird Boswell for
helping me to learn about the historian’s craft.
i needed an extended stay in Germany to do the research underlying this work.
for that opportunity, i would like to thank both the German fulbright commission
and the Berlin Program for advanced German and european studies. in particu-
lar, my appreciation to Natascha hoffmeyer and Karin Goihl who were not only
my liaisons with those two programs, but also became friends; to Gisela Bock and
Wolfgang Wipperman both for their research advice and for allowing me to partici-
pate in their seminars at the free University in Berlin; and to Volkmar Weiß who
provided me with extensive support at the saxon state archives as well as much good
counsel. Dianne schulle generously allowed me to see her manuscript on a closely
related topic prior to publication, for which i am most grateful.
The staff at the German federal archives was always helpful and efficient. in
addition, i was very fortunate to do my research there at the same time as a num-
ber of first-rate scholars, who also happened to be great people to “hang out” with,
most notably christof Morrissey, Greg eghigian, Greg Witkowski, and Thomas
Pegelow. Thomas Bach provided both invaluable feedback on my ideas and bitingly
funny observations on everything else. i am especially indebted to caroline fricke
who not only helped me in just about everything, but also happens to be a won-
derful person.
on my return from Germany, John Tortorice and the University of Wisconsin’s
history Department’s Mosse Program provided me with the opportunity to dedicate
myself to the intimidating task of putting my research into some sort of coherent
form. My friend and colleague at UW-Madison, sharon elise cline, read portions
of the work and provided helpful feedback. i am deeply indebted to christopher
Browning who, although he did not know me, kindly gave generously of his time
and profound expertise to read and comment on my manuscript.
ix