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Entusiasm, skepsis, distans: studier i svensk-tyska förbindelser inom medicinen 1933–1945

Hansson, Nils LU (2013) In Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series 2013:38.
Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to describe and analyse Swedish-German contacts in

medicine 1933-1945. It shows how the National Socialist German Physicians’

Federation (NSDÄB) tried to strengthen connections with the Swedish medical

profession and academic medicine and to spread NS-propaganda to carefully selected

Swedish physicians. The dissertation consists of four papers.

In the first paper the international contacts and impact of the leader school

for German doctors (Führerschule der deutschen Ärzteschaft) in Alt Rehse 1935-

1943 are examined through studies of a visitors’ book and of biographies. I suggest

that the Führerschule, an institution providing political and... (More)
The aim of this thesis is to describe and analyse Swedish-German contacts in

medicine 1933-1945. It shows how the National Socialist German Physicians’

Federation (NSDÄB) tried to strengthen connections with the Swedish medical

profession and academic medicine and to spread NS-propaganda to carefully selected

Swedish physicians. The dissertation consists of four papers.

In the first paper the international contacts and impact of the leader school

for German doctors (Führerschule der deutschen Ärzteschaft) in Alt Rehse 1935-

1943 are examined through studies of a visitors’ book and of biographies. I suggest

that the Führerschule, an institution providing political and ideological education

for health professionals, interested international physicians to a larger

extent than earlier described. The legacy from the German elite school for physicians

in Alt Rehse also included some Swedish contacts and it was described in at

least one contemporary Swedish publication in 1938.

In the second and third papers I argue, that there existed, in the 1930’s and

1940’s, well-functioning medical contacts between the two countries –

in spite

of the fact that the ’Swedish Society of Medicine’ tried to downplay the relations

with Germany.

Drawing on sources from private and state archives in Estonia, Germany

and Sweden, the fourth paper investigates the career of the gynaecologist Benno

Ottow (1884-1975): from his time as a junior physician period in Estonia and

Russia to his directorship of the Brandenburg gynaecological state hospital in

Berlin-Neukölln and the postwar-years spent in Sweden. During the Nazi dictatorship

Ottow demonstrated great commitment to putting the ideological and

legal demands into practice.

The general summary of the thesis is that the Swedish-German contacts in

medicine during the Third Reich years were multi-facetted and included both official

and unofficial contacts with prominent representatives of Swedish medicine

visiting Germany several times during the war years. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Prof. Almgren, Birgitta, Södertörns Högskola
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Medicine, History, Physician, Third Reich, Germany, Sweden
in
Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series
volume
2013:38
pages
144 pages
publisher
Department of Medical Ethics, Lund University
defense location
Malmö SUS
defense date
2013-05-24 09:00:00
ISSN
1652-8220
ISBN
978-91-87449-08-6
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
f8da4e7a-cef2-4d31-8cc6-7a243fa257c8 (old id 3811184)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:08:27
date last changed
2019-05-22 00:35:05
@phdthesis{f8da4e7a-cef2-4d31-8cc6-7a243fa257c8,
  abstract     = {{The aim of this thesis is to describe and analyse Swedish-German contacts in<br/><br>
medicine 1933-1945. It shows how the National Socialist German Physicians’<br/><br>
Federation (NSDÄB) tried to strengthen connections with the Swedish medical<br/><br>
profession and academic medicine and to spread NS-propaganda to carefully selected<br/><br>
Swedish physicians. The dissertation consists of four papers.<br/><br>
In the first paper the international contacts and impact of the leader school<br/><br>
for German doctors (Führerschule der deutschen Ärzteschaft) in Alt Rehse 1935-<br/><br>
1943 are examined through studies of a visitors’ book and of biographies. I suggest<br/><br>
that the Führerschule, an institution providing political and ideological education<br/><br>
for health professionals, interested international physicians to a larger<br/><br>
extent than earlier described. The legacy from the German elite school for physicians<br/><br>
in Alt Rehse also included some Swedish contacts and it was described in at<br/><br>
least one contemporary Swedish publication in 1938.<br/><br>
In the second and third papers I argue, that there existed, in the 1930’s and<br/><br>
1940’s, well-functioning medical contacts between the two countries –<br/><br>
in spite<br/><br>
of the fact that the ’Swedish Society of Medicine’ tried to downplay the relations<br/><br>
with Germany.<br/><br>
Drawing on sources from private and state archives in Estonia, Germany<br/><br>
and Sweden, the fourth paper investigates the career of the gynaecologist Benno<br/><br>
Ottow (1884-1975): from his time as a junior physician period in Estonia and<br/><br>
Russia to his directorship of the Brandenburg gynaecological state hospital in<br/><br>
Berlin-Neukölln and the postwar-years spent in Sweden. During the Nazi dictatorship<br/><br>
Ottow demonstrated great commitment to putting the ideological and<br/><br>
legal demands into practice.<br/><br>
The general summary of the thesis is that the Swedish-German contacts in<br/><br>
medicine during the Third Reich years were multi-facetted and included both official<br/><br>
and unofficial contacts with prominent representatives of Swedish medicine<br/><br>
visiting Germany several times during the war years.}},
  author       = {{Hansson, Nils}},
  isbn         = {{978-91-87449-08-6}},
  issn         = {{1652-8220}},
  keywords     = {{Medicine; History; Physician; Third Reich; Germany; Sweden}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Medical Ethics, Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series}},
  title        = {{Entusiasm, skepsis, distans: studier i svensk-tyska förbindelser inom medicinen 1933–1945}},
  volume       = {{2013:38}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}