Werner Gaedcke, Friedmar Grundig, Walter Hodapp, Walter Hublow, Willi Schramm, Alfred Winkels and Emil Ziegler: Heinrich Hertz in seinem Wirken und Schaffen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung seiner rassischen Gebundenheit, 1938, mimeographed typescript. KIT Archives 27104/11.
The Student Association (Fachschaft) for physics at Karlsruhe Polytechnic participated in the vocational competition, Reichsberufswettkampf posted in 1937, with an essay titled “Heinrich Hertz – His Endeavors and Achievements with Special Consideration of His Racial Ties.” The title alone indicates that these aspiring physicists, ventured beyond their academic domain to try to interpret Heinrich Hertz’s groundbreaking work in Karlsruhe through the lens of ancestral heritage. The authors of the essay, closely supported by their academic mentors, sought to distinguish between Hertz’s research results, deemed objectionable on racial grounds rooted in the Aryan ideology of “Deutsche Physik,” and his otherwise outstanding scientific achievements. They attributed Hertz’s experimental proof of the similarity between electromagnetic waves and light waves to his “Aryan” heritage, while dismissing his theoretical contributions as influenced by his Jewish ancestry and therefore “artfremd,” alien to their conception of a German species. The concept of race, particularly when applied to humans, is outdated as a scientific category. Holding a scientist’s ancestors accountable for specific aspects of his work is baseless speculation. Conducting science within a limiting frame defined by racist self-identification, deliberately set apart from the rest of humanity, highlights the absurdity of such an attempt, clearly crafted to serve as a showcase for the National Socialist regime. The competition submission is a thought-provoking example of how easily and quickly scientific inquiry can descend into ideological delusion. kn