A complex case: Ewald Harndt (1901–1996) and his relationship to National Socialism

Introduction: Ewald Harndt (1901–1996) has shaped modern German den-tistry like hardly any other scientist: The leading national professional society (DGZMK) elected him its president (1957–1965), the Free University of Berlin appointed him its rector (1967–1969), and the German Dental Association (BZÄK) awarded him the Fritz-Linnert Badge of Honour (1991). He received similar awards and honours throughout the world. Discussion: While Harndt's professional and academic achievements are undisputed, there is still a lack of clarity regarding his role in the Third Reich: On the one hand, he was dismissed in 1945 due to his membership in the Nazi Party (NSDAP), on the other hand, more recent articles point out that Harndt was considered a political suspect in the Nazi state and thus place him close to an opponent or even victim of the Nazi regime. Against this background, the present paper aims to illuminate Harndt's relationship to National Socialism. The methodological basis is a comprehensive analysis of the available archival sources and contemporary printed material and a systematic re-evaluation of the secondary literature on Ewald Harndt. Results: It can be shown that Harndt made a number of inconsistent, false or euphemistic statements, particularly in the denazification process. The source analysis leads to the conclusion that Harndt cannot be classified as a victim but as a political follower. He was undoubtedly not a "fervent" National Socialist, but he served the regime as a member of various Nazi organizations and networks, as well as by endorsing Nazi "health policy" and using Nazi terms – notably in the fields of eugenics ("vererbt geistig minderwertige Kinder", "Unfruchtbarmachung", "Blutsverwandtschaft") and religion ("deutschreli-giös"). Keywords: Eugenics, History of Dentistry, Third Reich