Erich Letterer (1895–1982): Life and work with special attention to his role in the Third Reich

Abstract

Erich Letterer (1895–1982) is without any doubt one of the most renowned German pathologists of the 20th century. As the eponym of the "Letterer-Siwe disease" and as a pioneer in the field of immunopathology, he made his mark in medical history.Less well known is the fact that Letterer achieved the decisive career step – the call to a full professorship – in the Third Reich, at the explicit request of authoritative National Socialists. In post-war Germany, on the other hand, Letterer was considered a politically unencumbered, honorable scientist.But how do these findings fit together? Did Letterer serve the Nazi regime or did he achieve his high positions despite a politically unbending, straightforward attitude? These questions are the main focus of the present article, which also traces Letterer's academic career and oeuvre.The paper is based on primary sources from various federal and regional archives, most of which have been evaluated for the first time; they have been compared and supplemented with the existing secondary literature.It concludes that Letterer was politically loyal during the Nazi era – as evidenced by memberships in various Nazi organizations – and that he enjoyed political support. Letterer's self-image of a politically aloof, blameless scholar does not agree with the sources. However, Letterer did not belong to those university lecturers who owed their career in the Third Reich mainly to political reasons. Rather, he was a renowned pathologist and scientist who also proved to be politically reliable in the decisive phase of his career.