The History of the during the World War II 1940/41 - 1945

• Applicant: Dr. Rainer Möhler
• Subject Area: Modern and Contemporary History ; History of Science
• Term: from 2013 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 249018117

The Reichsuniversität Straßburg (1940/41-1945) was founded in the Alsace after the victory of the Third Reich over France. Although it existed for only three years from the solemn celebration of its inauguration on November 23rd, 1941 until the liberation of Strasbourg by the allied troops on the same day in the year 1944, it has a very important position in the history of the German universities in the 20th century. The Reichsuniversität Straßburg is the only foundation of a full university in the Third Reich without taking local traditional study subjects or an existing university staff into consideration. It was the unique (and last) chance for higher education policy and politicians in the Third Reich to create their ideal of a national socialist university with national socialist professors and ideology in the empty rooms of the former German university of the Deutsche Kaiserreich.Until now the research of the history of the Reichsuniversität Sraßburg was prevented by the almost complete loss of the university archives. Due to the newly developed opportunity to evaluate the private papers of the former mentor of the Reichsuniversität Straßburg and first dean of the philosophical faculty, the historian Ernst Anrich (1907-2001), enables history scientists to extensively investigate this chapter of the national socialist policy of university and science.The objective for the project I applied for is to emphasize the historical individuality of the Reichsuniversität Straßburg and to describe it as a historical , embedded in the general political, social and cultural basic framework.This is why its history is to be analyzed in three approaches: 1. the political-cultural dimensions of the institution of the university, 2. the geographical space of the Alsace and its inhabitants and 3. the protagonists of the university.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants