Hermann Wolf (1889–1978) – Versatile DGZMK president and temporary member of the Nazi Party

Introduction: As a university lecturer and president of the DGZMK, Hermann Wolf attained a high level of popularity which still continues. Nevertheless, little is known about his actual contribution to the development of dentistry. This applies all the more to his relationship to National Socialism. Against this background, this article sheds light on Wolf's professional œ uvre, his developments and discoveries and, in particular, on his role in the "Third Reich". Material and methods: The scientific basis of the study is provided by various archival records and an autobiographical document of Wolf with reference to the year 1945. In addition, a complete evaluation of the available secondary literature on Wolf (biographies, lexical contributions, specialist essays, eulogies and obituaries) was carried out. Results: Wolf was not only a leading lecturer and dental politician, but also a pioneer of postgraduate education and an inventive developer. However, the majority of his innovations in dentistry were only of passing importance. Contemporaries also emphasised his high level of social competence and his international networking. His role in the "Third Reich" was complex: Wolf joined the NSDAP but was expelled from the party in 1942 because his wife was not "purely Aryan". Nevertheless, he did not suffer a career setback. Discussion and conclusion: Wolf biography offers a prototypical example of discrepancies between contemporary and retrospective perception: While at the time he was appreciated as a promoter of postgraduate education, as an exemplary academic mentor and as an ingenious developer, today he is remembered primarily as a technically versatile DGZMK president of Austrian origin. Besides his case demonstrates that exclusion from the NSDAP was not necessarily accompanied by professional and social degradation. Rather, the appointment procedures in the field of dentistry show that Wolf was considered for high-profile positions until the end of the "Third Reich".