Abstract

After 1945 it became evident that many fields of science in Germany were backward in comparison to the U.S. and, in part, other western countries. In genetics, the modern techniques of molecular biology were implemented in Germany after WWII only with a delay of about 10 years. The expulsion of Jewish scientists and poor funding after 1933 are usually considered to be the reasons for the poor performance of German science during and after the Third Reich. The results of this study show, however, that these grounds alone cannot explain the long lasting backwardedness of genetics: It is true that the forced emigration caused a loss, particularly in the field of biochemistry of intermediate metabolism. However, basic research in genetics and .biochemistry flourished under National Socialism, with funding growing until 1944. The delayed beginnings of molecular biology can be referred to a large extent to the fact that for many years after 1945 only very few German scientists obtained access to the international community of molecular biologists. This low international exchange was a consequence of National Socialism and WWII: German scientists were assessed according to the political past. Many foreign scientists could not forget the crimes which had taken place in Nazi Germany so fast. Genetics in Germany was prepared for the international development of today mainly due to the help of one single geneticist, MAX DELBRÜCK.