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Portrait of the Academy

Heinrich Lanz

Heinrich Lanz

Heidelberg Academy of Sciences (1909–1933)

After several failed attempts in the 19th century, the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences owes its existence to the patronage of the Lanz family of industrialists from Mannheim. In 1909, in memory of Heinrich Lanz († 1905), who ran Germany's largest agricultural machinery factory, the family provided one million gold marks as endowment capital. The new academy was organized in the same way as other German academies (Berlin, Munich, Göttingen, Leipzig): two classes, the mathematical-scientific and the philosophical-historical, each headed by a secretary, who alternately represented the entire academy.

According to the statutes of 1909, the "Heidelberg Academy of Sciences, Heinrich Lanz Foundation" (as it was known until around 1925) was an "association of scholars for the purpose of cultivating science, expanding it through research, and encouraging and supporting scientific investigations." Each class comprised ten full members, who had to be residents of Heidelberg, while associate members could come from the rest of Baden. Since 1920, the academy has been based in the former Grand Ducal Palace on Karlsplatz in Heidelberg.

The financial resources were insufficient for larger projects of its own. During the period of inflation, the foundation's capital was almost lost, without the Heidelberg Academy receiving regular government subsidies in return; it was only from 1928 onwards that it received support from the state of Baden in varying amounts. The first major undertakings were the "Recovery of the fossil finds from Mauer (Homo heidelbergensis)" (duration 1910-1944) and "The Babylonian-Assyrian Dictionary" (duration 1912-1925).

The Heidelberg Academy during the Nazi era (1933–1945)

The Heidelberg Academy responded to the challenge posed by Nazi ideology and its implementation by the state in much the same way as almost all academic institutions in Germany. Its guiding principle was organizational survival, the preservation of the institution. To achieve this goal, almost any price was paid, above all the renunciation of legal claims, collegiality, and solidarity with persecuted members, as well as the abandonment of academic standards in new elections. The opportunistic tactic of maximum conformity and often premature Gleichschaltung in order to save a questionable proprium led to culpable failure. Although the Academy did not pursue any research projects typical of the Nazi regime, five National Socialists were elected in the 1934/35 elections, three of them to vacant seats in disciplines traditionally covered by the Academy (astronomy, geology, physiology). The "NS faction," although a small minority among the 37 full members, immediately set about expelling the Jewish members from the Academy under the leadership of physiologist Johann Daniel Achelis. Since those affected were initially unwilling to give in to the pressure and resign, the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Class came to a complete standstill between the summer semester of 1936 and the end of 1937 – meetings were no longer held, and the 1937 annual meeting was also canceled. In the "Cartel of German Academies of Sciences," Heidelberg became a pioneer in pushing for a uniform Reich solution for the expulsion of "non-Aryan" members, while the Reich Ministry of Education, Science, and National Education (REM) reserved the decision for 1936. In February 1937, the secretary of the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Class, Otto Heinrich Erdmannsdörfer, noted that in a survey, a minority of class members still advocated "keeping non-Aryans under all circumstances," even though a few months earlier, the "Kampfblatt" (battle paper) of the Heidelberg group of the NSDStB (National Socialist German Student League) had sharply attacked the academy for its outdated understanding of science and demanded the "complete purge" of "Jews and friends of Jews." In silent protest, the Heidelberg student had demanded the removal of the academy's president, Professor "Der Heidelberger Student," had sharply attacked the academy for its outdated understanding of science and demanded the "complete purge" of "Jews and friends of Jews." In silent protest against the treatment of Jewish members, botanist Ludwig Jost left the Heidelberg Academy in 1937. The Philosophy and History Class stayed completely out of these disputes and merely pointed out the need to achieve uniform regulations throughout the Reich.

On November 15, 1938, a "quick letter" from the REM demanded that the Reich Citizenship Law of 1935 (Reich citizens are "citizens of German or related blood") be applied to regular and corresponding members. Those affected were to be encouraged to resign; if they refused, the ministry would revoke their membership. The order was repeated on February 1, 1939, and then also enforced in Heidelberg for "Jews, Mischlinge, and gentlemen married to Jewish women or Mischlinge of the first degree," albeit not without exceptions.

The result of the forced resignations or deletions from the membership list was as follows: Of 37 full members (as of April 1, 1933), seven were expelled from the Academy (four in the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Class, three in the Philosophy and History Class); of 38 corresponding/associate members, five were expelled (one in the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Class, four in the Philosophy and History Class).

In the elections held in the following years until the end of the war, supporters of the regime, critics of the regime, and those with little ideological exposure were elected. The statutes of 1939, which also introduced the Führer principle and made additional elections dependent on confirmation by the ministry, expanded the catchment area for full members beyond Heidelberg to southwestern Germany and now also included the universities and colleges of Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Darmstadt, and Frankfurt; after the conquest of Alsace, Strasbourg was added. Heads of research institutes and industrialists could also be elected.

The financial situation of the Heidelberg Academy remained precarious, so that only two new major projects could be started in the Philosophy and History Class: the edition of the works of Nikolaus von Kues (Cusanus) (duration 1925-2015) and "Die Deutschen Inschriften" (German Inscriptions) covering the period from around 500 to 1650 (duration since 1935 with preliminary considerations since 1930) – a project supported by almost all German academies and the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

The Heidelberg Academy after 1945

For the new beginning after May 8, 1945, two questions arose in particular: How would the Academy treat those members who had been forced out of the Academy as "non-Aryans" during the years of the Third Reich? And how would the Academy treat those members who could be accused of serious misconduct during the twelve years of Nazi rule, in particular active participation in the "purge" of the Academy? The first question was easy to answer. Members who had been expelled or had resigned were invited to rejoin the Academy as corresponding members. Most accepted this invitation, but not all. Apparently, not everyone felt that the Academy had struck the right tone in this delicate re-establishment of ties.

The Academy had a much harder time dealing with members who had been implicated in Nazi activities. It initially resorted to introducing a dormant membership, which could, but did not necessarily have to, lead to reactivation depending on the denazification proceedings and the decisions of the university. In 1950, the Academy decided to decide on the revocation of dormant memberships in accordance with the rules for new elections. In fact, the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Class rejected the re-election of incriminated members in some cases. On the other hand, however, heavily incriminated members were also re-elected. The Academy did not have the courage to make a clear break, or indeed to make a clear decision at all. In his history of the Heidelberg Academy, published in 1994, which contains an extensive analysis of this topic, historian Wennemuth described the Academy's handling of its past as "hesitant, half-hearted."

However, the past remained present for the Academy well beyond the immediate post-war years, namely in the form of the question of whether it should or even must examine the behavior of candidates of the relevant age during the years of the Third Reich when electing them. As far as can be ascertained, there has never been a fundamental debate on this issue within the Academy. Even in the case of individual admissions, the question of whether a candidate was directly or indirectly involved in the injustices of the Nazi dictatorship was apparently not raised. Even if one acknowledges that there were reasons for the Academy not to link the elections to a kind of second, belated denazification process, one must nevertheless make the critical observation that the Academy apparently saw no reason to fundamentally reflect on its own behavior in this matter and to state the reasons why it behaved as it did.

The Heidelberg Academy since the 1950s

From the 1950s onwards, the legal and financial status of the academy gradually consolidated. In 1958, it became the Baden-Württemberg State Academy, in 1966 a public corporation, and since 1971 its basic budget has been included in the state budget. Accordingly, the academy recruits scholars who are based in Baden-Württemberg. At the same time, the academy's research activities expanded.

This development received a decisive boost when the federal and state governments established the so-called Academies Program in the 1970s. The program was and is intended to promote long-term scientific projects, which had previously been the responsibility of the DFG. Both classes were now able to set up research positions for limited-term long-term research projects, which were financed by the Academies Program. Following a vote by the Science Council, purely scientific research projects were no longer included in the Academies Program from 2004 onwards. Since then, the Academies Program has focused on long-term projects in the humanities. In a second statement in 2009, the Science Council clarified its position and encouraged interdisciplinary cooperation between the humanities and natural sciences in Academies Program projects.

The Union of German Academies of Sciences and Humanities plays a decisive role in distributing funds from the program to the academies. It has existed under this name since 1996 as an association of the eight academies of sciences and humanities supported by the federal states. The state academies had already organized their cooperation in a working group since the 1950s, which was transformed into the Conference of Academies in the 1970s and finally founded the Union as a registered association. The Heidelberg Academy of Sciences was involved in these associations from the very beginning.

Since 2002, its activities have also included promoting young scientists through a special academy-based program (WIN Program). The awards presented by the academy, starting with the Academy Prize donated by the Friends of the Academy in 1984, are also intended for young scientists. In 2009, the academy celebrated its 100th anniversary with a ceremony attended by Günther Öttinger, Minister President of Baden-Württemberg, and numerous other events.

Literature

Medals and Athena emblem of the academy

profile

The Heidelberg Academy of Sciences was established in 1909 as the Baden Academy of Sciences, following in the tradition of the Electoral Palatinate Academy founded in 1763 by Elector Carl Theodor. The Heidelberg Academy has remained true to its founding principle of bringing together the state's outstanding scientists for interdisciplinary discussion and joint basic research. Like all eight academies of sciencessupported by the federal states (external link), the State Academy of Baden-Württemberg is a scholarly society and non-university research institution. It sponsors research projects, organizes scientific conferences and public lecture series, and promotes young scientists.

Non-university research institution

The current focus of the Academy's sustainability-oriented activities is on basic research in cultural and intellectual history. In these fast-moving times, science seeks knowledge and insights that will outlast current trends and provide long-term perspectives on the present. In this way, science creates sustainable values that preserve and renew intellectual foundations, experiences, and ideas far beyond the present day. The Academy of Sciences provides a space where long-term continuous observations and surveys are possible, data collections for editions of extensive text corpora and encyclopedias are compiled and made available to the general public. The Academy thus contributes to the preservation and development of cultural heritage for the present and the future and provides basic knowledge that can be used by other scientists in research and teaching as well as by the general public.

The Academy's research projects(internal link) cover a wide range of topics. Scientific responsibility for the individual projects lies with commissions composed of Academy members and external experts.

As a state academy, the Heidelberg Academy is primarily funded by the state of Baden-Württemberg. However, it also receives funding for numerous research projects from the"Academies Program"(external link), which is jointly funded by the federal and state governments; according to the rules of the program, the federal government and the state in which a research center is located each bear half of the project costs. In addition, the research centers raise third-party funds from priority programs of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the German Research Foundation, and foundations.

New challenges

Since the founding of the first German academy of sciences more than 300 years ago, the role of academies in the scientific system has undergone continuous change. With the assumption of additional responsibilities, the Academy of the State of Baden-Württemberg is facing new challenges.

  • The Heidelberg Academy intensifies its dialogue with the public by selecting specific sessions and organizing lectures followed by discussions.
  • The Academy is increasingly contributing its research potential and the scientific expertise of its members to the public debate on social issues.
  • Since 2002, the WIN-Kolleg(internal link) has been promoting interdisciplinary research on current topics, which is designed and carried out by teams of young scientists. The total funding amounts to approximately one million euros per year.
  • With the "WIN Conferences" (formerly Academy Conferences)(internal link), the Academy gives young researchers the opportunity to organize an interdisciplinary conference on their own responsibility. While the Academy finances the conference and provides the infrastructure, the young researchers are free to choose the conference topic and plan the scientific program.