This cabinet contains relevant books that reflect the thinking between 1902 and 1942. There is a quote from each book that conveys the core idea. As the books contain derogatory texts and images, they are kept under lock and key.

The original edition of the book is in the display case. The book is closed. It has a hard cover. The cover is marbled. The spine is made of brown leather.

Joseph Arthur de Gobineau: Experiment on the inequality of human races (1902).

It is a black-and-white portrait drawing of Joseph Arthur de Gobineau. In a relaxed pose, he holds one hand to his neck and looks at the viewer. He has short curly hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He wears a dark jacket with a waistcoat, a light-coloured shirt and a bow tie. The strap of a pocket watch is visible.

Joseph Arthur de Gobineau, 1876.

Copy ArEGL.

»This is what history teaches us. It shows us that every civilisation stems from the white race, that none can exist without the aid of this race, […]« (p. 285)

The display case contains the original edition of the book. The book is closed. It has a sturdy, dark blue cloth cover. The title of the book is printed in gold letters on the cover.

Fritz Lenz: Human Selection and Racial Hygiene (1932).

It is a black-and-white photographic portrait of an aged Fritz Lenz. He has thinning hair, a high forehead and a greying moustache. He is wearing a white shirt with a dark tie and a dark jacket.

Fritz Lenz, after 1945.

Archive of the Max Planck Society, Berlin Dahlem.

»We value the progress of culture, the progress of knowledge, technology and the economy. The pioneering leaders of this progress are praised as great spirits. But all this becomes meaningless if culture collapses as a result of the degeneration of the race […]« (p. 554)

The original edition of the book is in the display case. The book is closed. It has a sturdy, light beige cover. The title of the book is printed on the cover in black Gothic script. On the cover is a stamp from the Langenhagen Institution and Nursing Home, which has been crossed out by hand. Below the stamp is a second stamp from the Lüneburg Institution and Nursing Home. The spine of the book is blue.

Ernst Wegner: Racial Hygiene for everyone (1934).

It is a black-and-white photographic portrait of the young Ernst Wegner. He has combed his dark hair back and is wearing a shirt with a dark tie and jacket. The picture is blurred.

Ernst Wegner, 1933, in: Deutscher Reichstag, Reichstags-Handbuch, 8th electoral period, Berlin 1933, p. 367 [excerpt].

Bayerische Staatsbibliothek. BA/Germ.g 390c-1933.

»[…] and it is the taxpayer who is healthy and capable of inheritance who has to bear the burden of welfare. While public funds are only rarely available for the children of healthy people, imbeciles and criminals have to be supported from public funds.« (p. 157.)

The display case contains the original edition of the book. The book is closed. It has a sturdy blue cover. The title of the book is printed in gold letters on the cover. Below the title is an embossed stamp from the J. F. Lehmann publishing house.

Ernst Rüdin: Heredity and Racial Hygiene in the National State (1934).

It is an autograph card with a black-and-white portrait of Ernst Rüdin. He has combed his grey hair back and has a grey beard. He is wearing a white shirt with a dark tie and a jacket. His signature is printed below his portrait. It is lively. It is only his surname, Rüdin.

Ernst Rüdin, um 1935.

Copy ArEGL.

»Our aim is to breed a sufficient number of carriers of mental health […], but without accepting the curse of mental illness. The people want […] the proper multiplication of the healthy gifted […] but not to breed the mentally ill.« (p. 163)

The display case contains the original edition of the book. The book is closed. It has a sturdy, light beige cover. The title of the book is printed on the cover in dark red Gothic script.

Günther Just: Inheritance (1936).

It is a black-and-white photographic portrait of an elderly Günther Just. He is not looking at the camera, but rather to the left of the picture. His clean-shaven pointed chin, deep-set eyes, receding hairline and serious expression give him a somewhat sombre appearance. He is wearing a white coat and a bow tie.

Günther Just, um 1948.

UAG, Porträtsammlung, Just, Günther.

»The […] legislation will be of ever greater blessing to our people; after all, it is a matter of liberating future generations from a large number of vile, anti-community and anti-social individuals […]« (p. 182)

The original edition of the book is in the display case. The book is closed. It has a sturdy blue cover. The title of the book is printed in gold letters on the cover. The fabric of the cover is faded, and the shadow of another book is visible on the cover.

Ludwig Ferdinand Clauß: Breed and character (1936).

It is a black-and-white photographic portrait of a middle-aged Ludwig Clauß. He is wearing a chutra (a scarf) held in place by agaal (two black rings). He is wearing an Arabic robe. He has an unkempt full beard and is looking directly into the camera with his deep dark eyes.

Ludwig FerLudwig Ferdinand Clauß, 1934.

From: Clauß, Ludwig Ferdinand: As a Bedouin among Bedouins, Freiburg i. Br. 1934.

»Racial affiliation is […] all too easily misused as a badge of honour and for the arrogation of special rights. Although ‘racial purity’ is to be regarded as a gift from God, it does not in itself guarantee moral ‘high value’, but imposes duties and creates responsibility.« (p. 108)

The display case contains the original edition of the book. The book is closed. It has a sturdy, light beige cover. The title of the book is printed on the cover in dark brown letters. Below the title is an embossed logo of the J. F. Lehmann publishing house.

Ernst Rittershaus: Constitution or race? (1936).

»The sole aim of the so-called ‘Nordic Movement’ is to save the last remnants of Nordic blood in our racial mix from complete annihilation and to strengthen the numerical proportion of this blood in our people, if it is still possible at all.« (p.191)

The original edition of the book is in the display case. The book is closed. It has a sturdy blue cover. The title of the book is printed in gold letters on the cover. Below the title is an embossed stamp from the J. F. Lehmann publishing house.

Erwin Baur/Eugen Fischer/Fritz Lenz:
Human heredity (1936).

It is a black-and-white photographic portrait of Erwin Baur. He has a high forehead and short white hair. He wears horn-rimmed glasses and a moustache. His white shirt is buttoned up high and he wears a dark tie. He looks seriously into the camera.

Erwin Baur, before 1933.

Michal Šimůnek/Peter Ruckenbauer/Uwe Hoßfeld (2015):
A half forgotten album, p. 14.

It is a black-and-white photographic portrait of Eugen Fischer. He has a dark, grey-streaked full beard and combed-back hair with a parting. He is wearing a white shirt and dark tie with a jacket. The background of the picture is blurred.

Eugen Fischer, undated.

Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe | Digitales Nationalarchiv Polen.

»For the introduction and implementation of racial-hygienic selection, however, a renewal of the world view is necessary. […] This education towards an organic worldview has been tackled by National Socialism […]« (p. 773)

The display case contains the original edition of the book. The book is closed. It is a paperback edition from the series Politische Biologie. Schriften für naturgesetzliche Politik und Wissenschaft (Political Biology: Writings on Natural Law Politics and Science). The cover is made of light brown cardboard. It is printed with the title. Below the title is a coat of arms with a lion. It is the coat of arms of the J. F. Lehmann publishing house.

Paul Danzer: Birth war (1937).

»A nation can become richer in terms of talent and hereditary values if the gifted and high-quality ones leave an above-average number of children to the next generation and the poorly gifted, […] a below-average number.« (p. 13)

The display case contains the original edition of the book. The book is closed. It has a sturdy, light grey cover. The title of the book is printed on the cover in dark blue letters. Below the title is the coat of arms of the Thieme publishing house.

Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer: Guide to racial hygiene (1941).

It is a black-and-white photographic portrait of the young Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer. He has thin hair combed back. He has no beard and is clean-shaven. Under a white doctor's coat, he wears a white shirt and tie. He looks into the camera with raised eyebrows, revealing two wrinkles on his high forehead.

Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer, around 1940.

Archive of the Max Planck Society, Berlin, VI. Abt., Rep. 1, Verschuer I/5.

»Hereditary biology is the most important basis of racial hygiene; all differences between people and all selection processes would be meaningless with regard to the future of humanity if the differences between individual people, social groups, peoples and races were not hereditary.« (p. 10)

The original edition of the book is in the display case. The book is closed. It has a sturdy, light grey cover. The title of the book is printed in black letters on the cover.

Friedrich Keiter: Short textbook of Racial Biology and Racial Hygiene (1941).

»The core of National Socialism is recovery after a hostile, intellectualist, over-artificial age.« (p. 1)

Inside the display case is the original edition of the book. The book is closed. It has a hard cover. The cover is marbled black and grey. The spine is black and has a label. It is inscribed in small capitals with »Der Erbarzt« and the year of publication. It is a reprint of the trade journal.

Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer (Hg.): Der Erbarzt Bd. 9 (1941/1942).

»But how often is a single trait of such immense importance that all other hereditary traits are practically insignificant. Think, for example, of a hereditary disposition for feeblemindedness. It destroys almost the entire value of a person.« (p. 6)

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