Maxillofacial surgeons in the Third Reich and their connection to National Socialism

Abstract

This study examines the political role of German and Austrian maxillofacial surgeons in the Third Reich. It is based on archival sources, most of which have been evaluated for the first time – including the National Socialist Workers' Party membership files in the Federal Archives in Berlin.The examinations yielded five key findings: (1) A total of 187 specialist surgeons were identified; 116 (62%) of these were members of the Nazi Party (NSDAP). (2) More than half of the collective (54%) belonged to the educated or property-owning bourgeoisie due to their father's profession; surgeons of bourgeois origin generally showed barely any less affinity to the NSDAP than those who came from the middle class. (3) Party members were able to further their careers during the Third Reich far more frequently than non-members. (4) The specialist surgeons were deeply divided regarding the question of the forced sterilization of patients with cleft lips and palates. (5) After 1945, the vast majority of NSDAP members did not suffer any career setbacks.It can be concluded that maxillofacial surgeons joined the NSDAP to a greater extent than the medical profession as a whole (ca. 45%). This was partly due to the fact that the Nazis emphasized the important role of maxillofacial surgeons in the care of injured soldiers and civilians. In addition, most maxillofacial surgeons were employed at university hospitals, where party membership was particularly career-enhancing.