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Adolf Reichwein, an educator, economist and member of the Social Democratic Party, at the notorious 'Volksgerichtshof' in Berlin. Belonging to a resistance movement, he was arrested, sentenced to death and killed at Prison Plötzensee in 1944.
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In the German capital, 2013 happens to be the official theme year 'Zerstörte Vielfalt (Diversity Destroyed). Berlin 1933 - 1938 - 1945. A City Remembers'.
Berlin thus marks the anniversary of the seizure of power by the Nazis with a number of exhibitions, events, art performances, public lectures or readings in museums and archives, at important historical sites as well as in rather forgotten corners, in churches or centres of Jewish life and in galleries or universities.
Believe me or not, but there are still fields of study with regard to the Third Reich that are desperately waiting to be thoroughly researched.
One of these fields is the history of China studies in Germany before, during and after the Nazi regime. If you happen to be in Germany's capital for whatever reasons (and able to read a little German), pay a visit to the exhibition 'Verfolgte China-Wissenschaftler, 1933-1945. Die fehlende Generation (Prosecuted China Scholars, 1933-1945. The Lost Generation)'.
One of these fields is the history of China studies in Germany before, during and after the Nazi regime. If you happen to be in Germany's capital for whatever reasons (and able to read a little German), pay a visit to the exhibition 'Verfolgte China-Wissenschaftler, 1933-1945. Die fehlende Generation (Prosecuted China Scholars, 1933-1945. The Lost Generation)'.
Located in the building of the Institute of Sinology / Chinese Studies at Freie Universität Berlin in the campus district of Berlin-Dahlem, this small but valuable poster exhibition documents for the first time the fate and experiences of around 30 China scholars who were either murdered or fled to the US and other places willing and able to give them shelter.
Those who had the sheer luck, stamina, or financial resources to escape Nazi Germany before it was too late had to (or wanted to) live and work in exile for the rest of their lives.
Those who had the sheer luck, stamina, or financial resources to escape Nazi Germany before it was too late had to (or wanted to) live and work in exile for the rest of their lives.
The exhibition makes clear that the relevant administrative bodies in Nazi Germany were extremely efficient in eliminating progressive and creative scholars with wide-ranging academic interests and backgrounds (ethnology, religious studies, language studies, history, art history, or philosophy) and a focus on China who had the bad luck to be Jewish or were political adversaries of the Nazis.
Many of the academics who were lucky enough to get out in time later founded important schools of thought in their respective countries of exile and helped to establish influential centres for research on China in Europe and abroad.
Many of the academics who were lucky enough to get out in time later founded important schools of thought in their respective countries of exile and helped to establish influential centres for research on China in Europe and abroad.
The names of Henri Maspero, Wolfram Eberhard, Karl August Wittfogel, Hellmut Wilhelm, Bruno Schindler, Erich Haenisch or Walter Simon still ring a bell today.
In contrast, the academic works and achievements of Adolf Reichwein above (remembered today mainly as a member of the small German resistance movement, but not so much as somebody with a keen interest in China), of Philipp Schaeffer, Anneliese Bulling, Ruth Krader-Schlesinger or Tseng Tsui-chi are nearly forgotten.
In contrast, the academic works and achievements of Adolf Reichwein above (remembered today mainly as a member of the small German resistance movement, but not so much as somebody with a keen interest in China), of Philipp Schaeffer, Anneliese Bulling, Ruth Krader-Schlesinger or Tseng Tsui-chi are nearly forgotten.
It took German sinology more than 30 years to recover from the destruction and forced brain-drain, and the vibrancy and diversity of the field of research is still dearly missed in many German departments and institutes of Chinese studies.
