What was the Nazi party's attitude towards science? Was scientific advancement/achievement a priority for them?

by poopyjoe43
thunderbird45

One could easily argue that Hitler and Nazis utilized various types of science to support, and or develop their policies. The term “Nazi Science” refers to science conducted under the supervision of the Third Reich. Hitler’s regime undoubtedly employed a variety of scientist who engaged in an array of projects. The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science states that, “Under Hitler, nearly all areas of science, technology, and medicine, and indeed of scholarship in general, were influenced by the Nazi regime in content, practice, policy, or administration.” The Nazi government undoubtedly emphasized triumph through science and technology by directing research focused on projects like the development of the V2 Rocket and racial research that supported Nazi race policy. Hope that helps answer your question, also wanted to note that if you are interested in learning more there is a large historiography out there concerning the various scientific projects under the Nazis.

Olesko, Kathryn. "Nazi science." In The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science. : Oxford University Press, 2003.

restricteddata

This is a tricky question. The Nazis did not have any sort of official platform regarding science. They did officially embrace technology so long as it was in the service of greater Nazi goals, and embraced science so long as it was in the service of these goals as well. In some areas they at times interfered with scientific practice for ideological reasons (the "Aryan physics" episodes in the mid-1930s are a famous example of this), and they always had their hand in how university operations work (universities were state-run). In the area of anthropology and racial biology they obviously had a very heavy hand.

The historian Jeffrey Herf labels the Nazi approach to science and technology "reactionary modernism," indicating the odd paradox that the Nazis simultaneously were very reactionary to many aspects of modern science and technology (and idolized the humble farmer highest of all, for example), yet also thoroughly embraced certain specific technologies and a certain form of technological romanticism (e.g. rockets and the idea of outer space travel). I'm not sure everyone agrees with Herf but it is a nice way to talk about the weird contradictions in the Nazi approach to science and technology, sometimes promoting, sometimes oppressing, etc.