과학연구와 정치

Work Physiology in the ‘Third Reich’

This article deals with the relationships between scientists and politics by focusing on the example of ‘work physiology’ in the time of National Socialism. In several countries one paid more attentions to the manpower than to the engineering at the beginning of the 20th century. Much efforts were made to promote the efficiency of work performed by people before the World War I in Germany. With the founding of the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut fur Arbeitsphysioloige in 1913 scientists began to investigate the problems. The physiologist Max Rubner who established the institute and was an advocate for basic researches, played an important role in defending their scientific research’s freedom and independence. After its move to Dortmund in 1928/1929, where there were many large companies, the institute was changed. Although the move gave the better conditions for the research, the scientific organization accepted now applied researches besides basic researches. Many institutions of National Socialism tried to intervene in the projects and activities of the institute, because its research topics were politically more acute. The second head of the institute, Edgar Atzler, managed to defend its independence and to concentrate on basic researches until his death in 1938. During the Second World War the applied researches were clearly preferred to the basic ones by the political and economical interventions. This lead to the experiments and researches on the link between diet and nutrition, which were carried out by Heinrich Kraut. The studies on forced labourers and POWs served as guinea pigs, turned out as unethical. The scientists involved were, however, able to enjoy the international fame continually after the war.