Race and soil: Geography, ethnology, and Nazism

Authors

  • Wolfgang Kophamel Free University of Berlin (Germany).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.10.13560

Keywords:

ethnography, Nazism, colonialism, Franz Termer, Guatemala

Abstract

For decades, Franz Termer (1894–1968) was professor of ethnology at the University of Hamburg. His area of research was Central America. Between 1935 and 1962 he was also the director of the Museum of Ethnology in Hamburg. His academic career coincided with one of the most decisive periods in German history: National Socialism. He was a founding member of the famous journal Zeitschrift fu?r Geopolitik and admired Friedrich Ratzel and his «political geography». The concept of «blood and soil» as a historical determinant could be found in Termer’s work ten years before the Nazis used it as their state’s official ideology. After the fall of Nazism, he declared himself an «adversary» and «victim» of that policy. However, a careful reading of his texts reveals that he had supported National Socialism, colonialism, anti-Semitism, and racism for five decades.

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Author Biography

Wolfgang Kophamel, Free University of Berlin (Germany).

PhD in Political Science from the Free University of Berlin. Specialized in international policy issues. He made several research stays in Israel and published the book Franz Termer (1894-1968): Politische Geographie und Völkerkunde (Hamburg, 2017). He is currently teaching at the German school of Valencia (Spain). 

References

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Fischer, H. (1990). Völkerkunde im Nationalsozialismus. Berlin: Reimer.

Gall, F. (1969). Franz Termer: in Memoriam. Anales de la Sociedad de Geografía e Historia de Guatemala, 42, 36–45.

Haberland, W. (1964). Bibliographie der Arbeiten von Franz Termer aus den Jahren 1919-1964. Hamburg: W. Haberland. Retrieved from https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/4008992.pdf

Karlowa, R. (1939). Deutsche Kolonialpolitik. Breslavia: Hirt.

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Ratzel, F. (1897). Politische Geographie. Munich: R. Oldenbourg.

Ratzel, F. (1901). Der Lebensraum: Eine biogeographische Studie. In A. Bücher et al., Festgaben für Albert Schäffle, (pp. 101–189). Tübingen: H. Laupp.

Ratzel, F. (1940). Erdenmacht und Völkerschicksal. Stuttgart: Kröner.

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Termer, F. (1938, 26 October). Letter to Nora Termer. Hamburg: Museum für Völkerkunde.

Termer, F. (1939, 4 February). Letter to M. Planck. Hamburg: Museum für Völkerkunde.

Termer, F. (1941a). Zur Geographie der Republik Guatemala. Beiträge zur Kultur und Wirtschaftsgeographie von Mittel und Südguatemala. (2. Teil). Mitteilungen der Geographischen Gesellschaft in Hamburg, 47, 11–262. 

Termer, F. (1941b, 4 January). Farbige und Weiße in Amerika. Hamburger Tageblatt, p. 8.

Termer, F. (1941c). Erhaltende und zersetzende Kräfte im Volkstum der Maya-Indianer von Guatemala. Koloniale Rundschau, 32, 214–235.

Termer, F. (1941d, 3 February). Letter to K. Sapper. Hamburg: Museum für Völkerkunde.

Termer, F. (1942). Europäische Kultureinflüsse in Iberoamerika. Europäischer Wissenschaftsdienst. Korrespondenz für Kultur und Wissenschaft, 2(14), 8–9.

Termer, F. (1950). Über Eingeborenenreservate in Amerika. In I. Tönnies, Beiträge zur Gesellungs-und Völkerwissenschaft Berlin, (pp. 325–332).

Termer, F. (1957). Etnología y etnografía de Guatemala. Guatemala: Editorial del Ministerio de Educación Pública.

Uexküll, J. V. (1920). Staatsbiologie: Anatomie, Physiologie, Pathologie des Staates. Berlin: Gebrüder Paetel.

Wittfogel, K. A. (1970). Geopolitik, geographischer Materialismus und Marxismus 1-3. In K. A. Wittfogel, Marxismus und Wirtschaftsgeschichte. Frankfurt: Junius Drucke. (Original work published in 1929).

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Published

2020-01-08

How to Cite

Kophamel, W. (2020). Race and soil: Geography, ethnology, and Nazism. Metode Science Studies Journal, (10), 157–163. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.10.13560
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Issue

Shades of science (2020)

Section

Science and Nazism. The unconfessed collaboration of scientists with National Socialism

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