Hans F. K. Günther facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hans F. K. Günther
Born	(1891-02-16)16 February 1891 Freiburg, German Empire
Died	25 September 1968(1968-09-25) (aged 77) Freiburg, West Germany
Nationality	German
Other names	"Rassengünther" ("Race Günther"), "Rassenpapst" ("Race Pope")
Education	Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg, University of Vienna
Occupation	Physician, writer, eugenicist
Employer	University of Jena, University of Berlin, University of Freiburg
Known for	Scientific racism
Political party	National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP)

Hans Friedrich Karl Günther (born February 16, 1891 – died September 25, 1968) was a German writer. He was known for promoting ideas about "race science" in Germany during the 1920s and 1930s. People sometimes called him "Race Günther" or "Race Pope" because of his strong beliefs. His ideas greatly influenced the Nazi Party's harmful views on race.

Günther taught at universities in Jena, Berlin, and Freiburg. He wrote many books and articles about his racial theories. One of his popular books, published in 1929, was called Short Ethnology of the German People. This book promoted the idea of a "Nordic race" as superior. In 1930, he became a professor of racial theory at Jena. He joined the Nazi Party in 1932, even before they took power in 1933.

Life and Early Career

Pages from Günther's book Short Ethnology of the German People. These pages show images of people he claimed belonged to different "races."

Günther's father was a musician. Hans studied languages at the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg. He also took classes in zoology (the study of animals) and geography. In 1911, he studied for a semester in Paris. He earned his doctorate degree in 1914.

When World War I started in 1914, he joined the army. However, he became sick and was sent to the hospital. He was not able to fight, so he worked for the Red Cross instead.

After the war ended in 1919, he began writing. He wrote a book called The Knight, Death and the Devil: The Heroic Idea. This book connected German nationalist ideas with a "biological nationalism." A powerful Nazi leader, Heinrich Himmler, was very impressed by this book.

In 1922, Günther studied at the University of Vienna while working in a museum. In 1923, he moved to Scandinavia with his second wife, who was from Norway. He received awards from the University of Uppsala and a Swedish institute that studied race. In Norway, he met Vidkun Quisling, who later became a Nazi collaborator.

In 1930, he was appointed to the University of Jena. This appointment was made by Wilhelm Frick, a Nazi minister in the government. Later, in 1935, Günther became a professor at the University of Berlin. There, he taught about race science and human biology. From 1940 to 1945, he was a professor at Albert Ludwigs University.

Role During the Nazi Era

Günther received several honors during the time of the Third Reich (Nazi Germany). In 1935, he was called the "pride of the Nazi Party" for his scientific work. He also received important medals from Adolf Hitler himself.

In 1941, he was an honored guest at a conference. This meeting was about how to deal with Jewish people. Discussions at the conference included very harmful ideas about Jewish identity. Günther's only recorded comment was that the meeting was boring.

After World War II, Günther was held in French camps for three years. He was later released because it was decided he was not a direct instigator of Nazi crimes. Even after the war, he did not change his harmful ideas. He continued to promote his views until his death. In 1951, he published a book called How to choose a husband. In it, he listed "good biological qualities" for marriage partners.

Harmful Racial Theories

Günther's theories came from an idea popular at the time called "Nordicism." This idea claimed that a "Nordic race" was superior. Eugen Fischer, an anthropology professor, also promoted these ideas.

Günther defined "race" in a very specific way. He wrote that a race was a group of people with certain body and mind features. He believed this group would only produce others like themselves. This definition of "race" was used in Nazi propaganda to spread their harmful ideas.

Günther also tried to explain the difference between "race" and "Volk" (which means "people" or "nation"). He admitted that Germans and Jews were not "races" in a strict scientific sense. However, he still thought it was okay to call them "races" in popular books. He also rejected the terms "Aryan" and "Semitic" as racial terms. He said they were only about language.

In his writings, Günther described Jewish people as mainly belonging to the "Near Eastern race." He thought Jewish people had become so mixed that they could be seen as a "race of the second order." He claimed that Ashkenazi Jews were a mix of many different groups. He also believed that Jewish people had physical features different from Europeans.

In his 1927 book, The Racial Elements of European History, Günther explained his ideas about race and language. He argued that terms like "white race" or "Caucasian race" were confusing. He said that people within Europe, and even within countries, looked very different. He believed there was no single "German race" or "Russian race." He stressed that "nation" and "race" were different. He also said that language groups, like "Germanic" or "Slav," were not the same as racial groups.

Günther divided European people into six "races":

• The "Nordic" race
• The "Phalic" or "Phalian" race (a smaller group, sometimes seen as part of Nordic)
• The "Eastern" race (also called "Alpine")
• The "Western" race (also called "Mediterranean")
• The "Dinaric" race
• The "East Baltic" race

In his book Racial Science of the German People, he said Germans belonged to the Nordic, Mediterranean, Dinaric, Alpine, and East Baltic races. He strongly argued that Germans should avoid mixing races.

Günther believed that Jewish people were "a source of trouble" and a "wedge" from Asia in Europe. He argued that Nordic peoples should unite to stay in charge. While he seemed to admire Mediterraneans and Dinarics, he often described the East Baltic race as inferior.

He also believed that Slavic people belonged to an "Eastern race." He warned against mixing "German blood" with Slavic blood.

One of Günther's students, Bruno Beger, later claimed that Tibetan people were a mix between Nordic and Mongol races.

Influence on Adolf Hitler

Historian Timothy Ryback studied the books from Adolf Hitler's personal collection. He found that Hitler owned six books by Günther. Four of these were different versions of Günther's book Racial Science of the German People. Günther's publisher, Julius Lehmann, gave these books to Hitler.

Lehmann wrote messages in the books. In one from 1923, he called Hitler "the successful champion of German racial thinking." The 1933 edition, which had a detailed section on European Jews, showed signs of being read many times. Lehmann dedicated it to "the trailblazer of racial thinking."

Ryback noted that Hitler even put Günther's book on a list of books he recommended for all Nazis to read. When Günther became a professor at the University of Jena in 1930, Hitler and Hermann Göring attended his first lecture. This showed how much they supported his ideas.

Paradoxical Conclusions

Based on Günther's own theories, he sometimes wrongly described famous people as "Nordic." This included Italian Renaissance artists and even the German artist Albrecht Dürer.