fbpx
Wikipedia

Albert Brackmann

January 02, 2023

Albert Brackmann (24 June 1871, Hanover – 17 March 1952, Berlin-Dahlem)[1] was a leading nationalist German historian associated with the Ostforschung, a multi-disciplined organisation set up to co-ordinate German propaganda on Eastern Europe. After Nazis were elected to power, he became one of the chief propagandists in service of the regime. In this position he supported Nazi genocidal policies, ethnic cleansing and anti-semitism.

Albert Brackmann
NationalityGerman
OccupationNon-ficton writer
Academic background
Alma materLeipzig University
University of Göttingen
University of Tübingen
Academic work
DisciplineHistory
InstitutionsHumboldt University of Berlin
University of Königsberg
University of Marburg

At the conclusion of his university education in Tübingen, Leipzig, and Göttingen, Brackmann joined, at the age of twenty-seven, the staff of MGH (Monumenta Germaniae Historica),[2] the leading German source publication for medieval documents. He was appointed professor of history at Königsberg in 1913, Marburg in 1920, and Berlin in 1922.[1] In 1929 he became the director general of the Prussian Privy State Archives, in Berlin-Dahlem.[3] In connection with accepting the position he advocated for the establishment of a special Institute for Archival Sciences and Historical Training (Preußisches Institut für Archivwissenschaft), to provide for the professional training of archivists; the institute, which came under the administration of the state archives, opened in Berlin-Dahlem in May 1930.[3][4] Brackmann, in his capacity as director general of the archives, simultaneously served as the archival institute's first director, until his retirement in 1936.[5] During his term at the archives he retained an honorary professorship at the University of Berlin.[2]

Originally a specialist in relations between the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy, he turned towards the history of the Germans in Eastern Europe as a result of his experiences of the First World War.[2] Politically right-wing, he was a member first of the DVP (German People's Party) and then of the DNVP (German National People's Party) during the Weimar Republic,[6] and was joint editor of the prestigious and influential Historische Zeitschrift from 1928 to 1935.[2]

Favoured by leading Nazis, including Adolf Hitler himself, Brackmann steadily turned the Ostforschung away from detached academic work towards projects that fed directly into the wider foreign policy and expansionist aims being pursued by the Nazi government. In September 1939, he congratulated himself on heading a research organisation that had become the central agency "for scholarly advice for the Foreign, Interior and Propaganda ministries, the army high command and a number of SS departments."[7][8] He was also an author for the Ahnenerbe, a research body set up under the auspices of Heinrich Himmler, publishing a booklet entitled "Crisis and Construction in Eastern Europe"[9] that questioned the historical validity of Poland as a nation by arguing that Mitteleuropa (Central Europe) was the original Lebensraum of the German nation.[10]

After the outbreak of World War II, Brackmann's work also extended to issues of Germanisation, and the removal of "undesired ethnic elements" from German domains. In this particular context he did much to promote the work of Otto Reche, professor of racial studies at the University of Leipzig, and a noted anti-Semite. Responding to Reche's appeal that Germany needed Raum (room), and not "Polish lice in the fur", Brackmann brought his argument for a strict definition of ethnicity to the attention of a number of different ministries. In essence, Reche argued that the Poles should be pushed eastwards further into Ukraine, whose population, in turn, would be pushed even further east.

Defeat in the war produced only a temporary halt in Brackmann's academic work. In 1946 he was actively involved in the reconstruction of Ostforschung, and many of his pupils went on to occupy important academic positions in the German Federal Republic, with anti-communism replacing the former fashion for expansionism. Brackmann died in 1952, but the Zeitschrift für Ostforschung went on, amongst other things, to re-publish some of the work of the notoriously anti-Polish Dr Kurt Lück, who served as an SS-Sonderführer, before he was killed by Soviet partisans in 1942.

References

  1. ^ a b Goetting, Hans (1955). "Brackmann, Albert Theodor Johann Karl Ferdinand." in: Neue Deutsche Biographie, vol. 2, p. 504-505. Online version retrieved 2015-11-03.
  2. ^ a b c d Burleigh, Michael (1988). "Albert Brackmann (1871-1952) Ostforscher: The Years of Retirement." Journal of Contemporary History, 23(4), p. 573-588; here: p. 573.
  3. ^ a b Musial, Torsten (1996). Staatsarchive im Dritten Reich. Zur Geschichte des staatlichen Archivwesens in Deutschland 1933-1945. Potsdam: Verlag für Berlin-Brandenburg. p. 24.
  4. ^ Bemis, Samuel Flagg (1939). "The Training of Archivists in the United States." The American Archivist, 2(3), p. 154-161; here: p. 156. Available as a PDF file: [1].
  5. ^ Eckert, Astrid M. (2012). The Struggle for the Files: The Western Allies and the Return of German Archives After the Second World War. Washington, DC: German Historical Institute. p. 115.
  6. ^ Burleigh (1988), "Albert Brachmann," p. 574.
  7. ^ Burleigh, Michael (1987). "Albert Brackmann & the Nazi adjustment of history." History Today, 37(3), p. 42–46; here p. 44. The quotation is from Brackmann.
  8. ^ Burleigh, Michael (1988). Germany Turns Eastwards: A Study of 'Ostforschung' in the Third Reich. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-35120-0. p. 157. Burleigh quotes Brackmann, citing a letter from Brackmann to a fellow professor, the geographer Friedrich Metz, September 23, 1929.
  9. ^ Brackmann, Albert (1939). Krisis und Aufbau in Osteuropa: ein weltgeschichtliches Bild. Berlin: Ahnenerbe-Stiftung. 68 p. OCLC 576558911
  10. ^ Burleigh (1988), Germany Turns Eastwards, p. 150.

Further reading

  • Burleigh, Michael (2002) [1987]. Germany Turns Eastwards: A Study of Ostforschung in the Third Reich. London: Pan Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-330-48840-2.
  • Burleigh, Michael (1988). "Albert Brackmann (1871-1952) Ostforscher: The Years of Retirement," Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 23, No. 4 (Oct.), pp. 573–588.
  • Burleigh, Michael (1987). "Albert Brackmann & the Nazi adjustment of history," History Today, Vol. 37, No. 3 (March), pp. 42–46.

External links

External links

January 02, 2023
albert, brackmann, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, november. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Albert Brackmann news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2015 Learn how and when to remove this template message Albert Brackmann 24 June 1871 Hanover 17 March 1952 Berlin Dahlem 1 was a leading nationalist German historian associated with the Ostforschung a multi disciplined organisation set up to co ordinate German propaganda on Eastern Europe After Nazis were elected to power he became one of the chief propagandists in service of the regime In this position he supported Nazi genocidal policies ethnic cleansing and anti semitism Albert BrackmannNationalityGermanOccupationNon ficton writerAcademic backgroundAlma materLeipzig UniversityUniversity of GottingenUniversity of TubingenAcademic workDisciplineHistoryInstitutionsHumboldt University of BerlinUniversity of KonigsbergUniversity of MarburgAt the conclusion of his university education in Tubingen Leipzig and Gottingen Brackmann joined at the age of twenty seven the staff of MGH Monumenta Germaniae Historica 2 the leading German source publication for medieval documents He was appointed professor of history at Konigsberg in 1913 Marburg in 1920 and Berlin in 1922 1 In 1929 he became the director general of the Prussian Privy State Archives in Berlin Dahlem 3 In connection with accepting the position he advocated for the establishment of a special Institute for Archival Sciences and Historical Training Preussisches Institut fur Archivwissenschaft to provide for the professional training of archivists the institute which came under the administration of the state archives opened in Berlin Dahlem in May 1930 3 4 Brackmann in his capacity as director general of the archives simultaneously served as the archival institute s first director until his retirement in 1936 5 During his term at the archives he retained an honorary professorship at the University of Berlin 2 Originally a specialist in relations between the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy he turned towards the history of the Germans in Eastern Europe as a result of his experiences of the First World War 2 Politically right wing he was a member first of the DVP German People s Party and then of the DNVP German National People s Party during the Weimar Republic 6 and was joint editor of the prestigious and influential Historische Zeitschrift from 1928 to 1935 2 Favoured by leading Nazis including Adolf Hitler himself Brackmann steadily turned the Ostforschung away from detached academic work towards projects that fed directly into the wider foreign policy and expansionist aims being pursued by the Nazi government In September 1939 he congratulated himself on heading a research organisation that had become the central agency for scholarly advice for the Foreign Interior and Propaganda ministries the army high command and a number of SS departments 7 8 He was also an author for the Ahnenerbe a research body set up under the auspices of Heinrich Himmler publishing a booklet entitled Crisis and Construction in Eastern Europe 9 that questioned the historical validity of Poland as a nation by arguing that Mitteleuropa Central Europe was the original Lebensraum of the German nation 10 After the outbreak of World War II Brackmann s work also extended to issues of Germanisation and the removal of undesired ethnic elements from German domains In this particular context he did much to promote the work of Otto Reche professor of racial studies at the University of Leipzig and a noted anti Semite Responding to Reche s appeal that Germany needed Raum room and not Polish lice in the fur Brackmann brought his argument for a strict definition of ethnicity to the attention of a number of different ministries In essence Reche argued that the Poles should be pushed eastwards further into Ukraine whose population in turn would be pushed even further east Defeat in the war produced only a temporary halt in Brackmann s academic work In 1946 he was actively involved in the reconstruction of Ostforschung and many of his pupils went on to occupy important academic positions in the German Federal Republic with anti communism replacing the former fashion for expansionism Brackmann died in 1952 but the Zeitschrift fur Ostforschung went on amongst other things to re publish some of the work of the notoriously anti Polish Dr Kurt Luck who served as an SS Sonderfuhrer before he was killed by Soviet partisans in 1942 Contents 1 References 2 Further reading 3 External links 4 External linksReferences Edit a b Goetting Hans 1955 Brackmann Albert Theodor Johann Karl Ferdinand in Neue Deutsche Biographie vol 2 p 504 505 Online version retrieved 2015 11 03 a b c d Burleigh Michael 1988 Albert Brackmann 1871 1952 Ostforscher The Years of Retirement Journal of Contemporary History 23 4 p 573 588 here p 573 a b Musial Torsten 1996 Staatsarchive im Dritten Reich Zur Geschichte des staatlichen Archivwesens in Deutschland 1933 1945 Potsdam Verlag fur Berlin Brandenburg p 24 Bemis Samuel Flagg 1939 The Training of Archivists in the United States The American Archivist 2 3 p 154 161 here p 156 Available as a PDF file 1 Eckert Astrid M 2012 The Struggle for the Files The Western Allies and the Return of German Archives After the Second World War Washington DC German Historical Institute p 115 Burleigh 1988 Albert Brachmann p 574 Burleigh Michael 1987 Albert Brackmann amp the Nazi adjustment of history History Today 37 3 p 42 46 here p 44 The quotation is from Brackmann Burleigh Michael 1988 Germany Turns Eastwards A Study of Ostforschung in the Third Reich Cambridge Cambridge University Press ISBN 0 521 35120 0 p 157 Burleigh quotes Brackmann citing a letter from Brackmann to a fellow professor the geographer Friedrich Metz September 23 1929 Brackmann Albert 1939 Krisis und Aufbau in Osteuropa ein weltgeschichtliches Bild Berlin Ahnenerbe Stiftung 68 p OCLC 576558911 Burleigh 1988 Germany Turns Eastwards p 150 Further reading EditBurleigh Michael 2002 1987 Germany Turns Eastwards A Study of Ostforschung in the Third Reich London Pan Macmillan ISBN 978 0 330 48840 2 Burleigh Michael 1988 Albert Brackmann 1871 1952 Ostforscher The Years of Retirement Journal of Contemporary History Vol 23 No 4 Oct pp 573 588 Burleigh Michael 1987 Albert Brackmann amp the Nazi adjustment of history History Today Vol 37 No 3 March pp 42 46 External links EditWorks by or about Albert Brackmann at Internet ArchiveExternal links EditNewspaper clippings about Albert Brackmann in the 20th Century Press Archives of the ZBW Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Albert Brackmann amp oldid 1096848117, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.