198 



National Resources Planning Board 



Power materials. 



Organic industrial materials, artificial products, rubber, 



textiles, etc. 

 Nonferrous metals. 



Geology, including mineralogy and geophysics. 

 Agriculture and general biology, including zoologj' and 



botany. 

 Forestry and timber research. 

 Military science and technics. 

 Electro technics. 

 Mining and smelting. 

 Iron and steel. 



Medicine, including race research and race biology. 

 Military medicine. 



The Government of Germany did not fully appre- 

 ciate the importance of scientific and industrial research 

 until in 1911 von Harnack, a disciple of von Humboldt, 

 stimulated the interest and secured the financial back- 

 ing of Kaiser Wilhelm II by pointing out that unless 

 provision were made for research facilities Germany 

 would lose its leadership in science and research. Thus 

 was founded the Kaiser Wilhelm Society for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science. In 1937 it consisted of a group 

 of 37 research institutes in the fields of physics, chem- 

 istry, biology, medicine, history, law, and the humani- 

 ties. At that time the membership was about 675, 

 and the number of investigators upward of 1,100. 

 The various institutes have been started, fostered, 

 and maintained by the Government and industry 

 jointlj' and by private endowments, although most of 

 the support has come from private industry and the 

 Government. The endowments were entirely lost 

 during the period of inflation, and the Government, 

 being financially embarrassed, could not help them. 

 Industry undertook 95 percent of the support of the 

 various institutes. Again during the severe economic 

 crisis beginning in 1929, some of the institutes experi- 

 enced difficulty in continuing their research. The 

 National Socialist Government granted the Society 



substantial and regular financial aid in return for which 

 the Society promised loyal support to the new Govern- 

 ment. According to the new statutes the President of 

 the Society alone assumes all responsibility and is 

 assisted by an Advisory Council. The newly elected 

 Senate of the Society consists of representatives of 

 science, industry, and Governiuciit. 



Under the National Socialist Party the Society has 

 been described as "the general stafl of German science 

 in our peaceful campaign for the spiritual, cultural, and 

 material development of our people." Keccnt reports 

 of the Society have stated that its activities were widely 

 increased for solution of problems related to the Four- 

 Year Plan and that it enjoyed very generous Govern- 

 mental support. It has been reported, however, that 

 activities of some of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institutes have 

 been curtailed since the outbreak of the war. 



Universities 



The remarkable industrial growth wliich Germany 

 experienced up to 3 or 4 years ago was in large measure 

 due to the fruits of the system of research in the uni- 

 versities and its coordination with industry. In 

 scientific achievements and in benefits both to university 

 and industry this plan excelled that of any other nation. 

 It was stimulated by the ancient traditions and ideals of 

 the universities which developed men of international 

 fame in many fields. 



The backbone of fundamental research in these 

 universities was the industry sponsored system of post- 

 doctorate research assistants to professors, who some- 

 times directed the work of as many as 20 or 30 men. 

 Their number had been reduced by two thirds by the 

 spring of 1939, with losses still mounting in the fol- 

 lowing summer. 



Owing to the unemployment situation in Germany 

 up to about 1935 the universities were crowded with 



FiGDRE 57. — 'Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Iron and Steel Research, Diisseldorf, Germany 



