| Description | ' A few days ago I enquired of you officially whether, should the opportunity arise, you would be prepared to accept the appointment to the chair for Experimental Physics at ........... University. Bound up with this chair is the directorship of the laboratory. In addition I should like to give you some private explanations. Professor ....... has of course suggested some names, among which yours naturally does not figure. I happen, however, to be Dean at present and I therefore have a certain, if limited, influence upon appointments. The faculty would, of course, like to help a former P.G. to obtain a chair in order that the study of Physics at ........ should not be completely devoid of national character. On the other hand I should naturally like to have here an experimental physicist whose views, apart from scientific ones, coincide to a certain extent with my own. It is of course very questionable whether my suggestion of placing you on the list of candidates will pass.
Now, much as I should like to have you here, I must tell you in all truthfulness what sort of conditions prevail here and probably at all universities in the West. The fact that a great deal has been destroyed and that one cannot do much work at the moment, I consider only a temporary and not a serious state of affairs. I have very grave misgivings, however, as regards the spritual development of our universities in general and I must say that sometimes I am close to despairing and long to leave my native land. One is fighting a hopeless battle against blind nationalism that you know so well from former times, only that it is much worse than it ever was before. The attitude of 95% of my colleagues is governed by the following considerations: 1) A blind hatred of the occupation forces: although they will flatter them in order to obtain all kinds of minor benefits, the sabotage of their work and their orders is considered a national duty and a meritorious deed. 2) An ardent sympathy and preference for the "poor P.G's" on whose behalf every effort is made to procure them all possible advantages; conversely there is a profound mistrust and an insurmountable aversion against all who suffered at the hands of the Nazis. This attitude is paramount not only at the universities. Officials who had been ousted by the Nazis without pensions and who are now applying for payment are publicly attacked in the newspapers, while the same newspapers are indignant that some P.G.'s and officers are receiving no pensions. 3) The firm conviction that in a few years' time Germany will again have its nationalistic regime, and the frantic fear of not being then able to prove one's "national reliability". The fear of the Nazis was never as great as the fear which the average German has already now of the Nazis of the future. There are many people who endeavour now expressly to be persecuted in some form or another so that later on they may show themselves off as "veteran fighters". Consequently of course all the members of this university try to avoid the suspicion that they are collaborating with the occupation authorities or even doing nothing more than obey their instructions, that they be an adversary of the Nazis or have any sympathy for Jews, foreigners, democracy or international co-operation. It is permitted to express such views at official occasions in the presence of the English, but with mental reservations and inward smiles. That is the state of affairs among my colleagues. As for the students, in 1946 almost 50% were active and reserve officers, and if you recall former times, you can well imagine what their attitude is. We have of course one or two exhibition students who are presented on every suitable occasion and who are perhaps really democratic at heart. They amount perhaps to 2% - they will certainly emigrate.
My opinion has always been that we cannot overcome this mental attitude unless some of those of our colleagues who went abroad come back. But on the other hand it is too much to expect of any one to commit spiritual or perhaps even physical suicide by returning to Germany. So far no-one has returned to .......... It is true that few here have been recalled, because generally speaking they are not wanted; here one would much rather get rid of the few who are opposed to National Socialism.
There are some things in this letter which perhaps you will not understand, as it is unusual to write such things to foreign countires; but after all I must give you a picture of how things really stand here.
With kind regards
Note of translator; "P.G." means "Partei Genosse", that is, a member of the National Socialist Party
4 copies
For context see FS/7/4/6/44 |