Konrad Lorenz (1903-1989)
The biologist in the dark shadow of his past
Not only for biologists Konrad Lorenz, the Nobelpreisträger of the yearly 1973, is a trusted friend name. As „a father of the grey geese “the joint founder of a modern comparative behavior research is affectionately called. After an inquiry in a Austrian week pictorial it applies today with many as a scientist absolutely and ranks before Schroedinger, Wittgenstein or Freud. In an article it is appreciated even „as one the largest human of the century “. It became due to its contentious arguments „the conscience of the nation “.
With its packing telling art it knew to fascinate its readers, its animal stories became not only under biologist too frequently read works.
Also as ecological society critics in the fight against the destruction of the environment Lorenz is well-known. It did not only fight against the start-up of the atomic power plant Zwentendorf. It engaged itself also strong for the preservation of one the last Auenlandschaften at the Danube.
Who however is this man, who is lifted by many so highly into the sky? From where does he really come? What did he want to cause in his life?
His life
Konrad Zacharias Lorenz was born on 7 November 1903 in old person mountain with Vienna. In the house of its father it could be occupied as a child with animals. Already with five years Lorenz discovered the so-called coinage with Entenkücken. Konrad Lorenz was a passionate researcher: “A Wissenschafter, which does not love its object and which does not amuse itself by the knowledge over the object, belongs in Würst'.”
It studied medicine in Vienna and New York, became 1928 the doctor of the medicine and after further study of the Zoologie 1933 the Dr. phil. attained a doctorate. Already during its study it put the foundation-stone for the comparative behavior research with the research of animal instinct movements. Its work “over the term of the instinct action” of 1937 is considered as beginning of the comparative behavior research.
During the time of the third realm Konrad Lorenz career made: In the year 1937 he became private lecturer in comparative anatomy and comparative animal psychology at the University of Vienna. Three years later (1940) (half) the chair was awarded to it - favours by the connection of Austria at Hitler Germany - by Immanuel Kant in king mountain (for psychology). As tidy professor and director/conductor of the institute for comparative psychology at the University of king mountain.
In a mirror interview of 1988 he means at this time: “And I have myself also before all politics pressed [...] before an argument with the Nazis I in very verächtlicher way pressed myself, I had simply no time in addition.”
Differently the historical documents speak: „Unpolitical “Konrad Lorenz joined already 1938 the NSDAP and became beyond that coworker of the race-political office of the NSDAP. Its party entry did not take place however via compulsion, it asked with flattering words around admission. A document from 28 June 1938 testifies its personally given “data concerning other activities for the NSDAP”. In it sentences stand how:
“I was naturally always as German-thinking and scientists national socialist and for world-descriptive reasons embittered enemy of the black regime…”.
“Finally I may probably say that my whole scientific life work, into masterhistorical, stands rassenkundliche and socialpsychological questions in the foreground to stand, in the service of National Socialist thinking.”
The picture of the Mitläufer Lorenz, preserved for a long time, would be clarified thereby. Which led it to its attitude, may be career thinking, Opportunismus and a good portion Antisemitismus and racingism. It writes his Mentor at that time Ernst Stresemann for example:
“(in the strictest confidence) (...) that the human psychology (...) is noticeably by ideas of the Jewish along-talking and worteschwelgenden Jew sizes interspersed. One of the few cases, where I recognize the Schädlingstum of the Jews without reservation.”
The fact that also race-hygenic aspects in its thinking worked occupies a quotation from an interview by 1981, in which he reports of his hope for a biologically founded policy in the third realm and:
“that the national socialism of something property will bring, i.e. regarding the high estimation of the biological adequateness of humans, against Domestikation etc.”.
In articles, which he published during the NS time, it became clearer around some. There it meant among other things:
“The nordische movement was since more jeher against› the Verhaustierung ‹humans directed. (...) It fights for trend, which is opposite that, in which today's civilized large city mankind moves, straight.”
Another place is here added. In it remains more open nothing regarding Lorenzens of real attitude:
“It should turn out against the fact that under the conditions of the Domestikation no amassment of mutations takes place (...), then would have the race care on a still sharper eliminating ethicalally inferior (sic! the editorship) its, as it it is today already mindful.”
An critical-interested specialized public are for a long time well-known these work of the Lorenz, but few reacted so far clearly.
Lorenz took part 1942 honorary in floats in an investigation of the “realm donation for German east research” in “GermanPolish half-breeds and Poland”, in of them “suitability-psychological and charakterologischen priority” in regard on a possible naturalization. For “naturalizationable” found hard labour was not approaching or the Deportation into an extermination camp.
Lorenz is not mentioned and its bio graph discreetly also this chapter of its career always consistently, as well as at all in Austria its Nazi past.
1948 turned the Lorenz from Russian war shank back after old person mountain at the Danube (Lower Austria). To hardly believe, but its National Socialist past was at no time obstacle for its following steep scientist career. 1961 it became the director new of Planck Max Planck for behavior research in sea-meadows, 1973 followed the Nobelpreis for medicine, together with Karl freshness and Nicolaas Tinbergen.
Its innumerable publications show however above all one: it circled since king mountain around the same ideas, even if it selects the words now differently. It does not demand „eliminating " more, but prangert in effective writings the errors of the others on (the so-called bad, 1963; Eight death sins of civilized mankind, 1973) are mentioned as examples.
In the 80's it engaged itself in the ecology movement. Also for the Greens neither its past seemed to deter nor its publicised sozialdarwinistischen contents to fight at common front.
On 27 February 1989 Lorenz at the age of 85 years in old person mountain at kidney failure died.
Zeittafel zu Konrad Lorenzens Leben
1903 Konrad Lorenz wurde am 7. November 1903 als Sohn des Orthopäden Prof. Dr. Adolf Lorenz und seiner Frau Emma geboren 1910-1922 Schulbesuch (Volksschule und Gymnasium) 1922-1928 Studium der Medizin; Promotion Dr. med 1928 1928-1933 Studium der Zoologie; Promotion Dr. phil 1933 1937 Privatdozent für vergleichende Anatomie und vergleichende Tierpsychologie an der Universität Wien 1940 Ordentlicher Professor und Leiter des Instituts für vergleichende Psychologie an der Universität Königsberg 1941-1944 Arzt im Kriegsdienst 1944-1948 Arzt in russischer Kriegsgefangenschaft 1949 Gründung der Station für vergleichende Verhaltenforschung in Altenberg bei Wien 1953 Ernennung zum Honorarprofessor an der Universität Münster 1957 Ernennung zum Honorarprofessor an der LMU in München 1961-1973 Direktor am Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensphysiologie in Seewiesen bei Starnberg 1973 Nobelpreis für Medizin gemeinsam mit Karl v. Frisch und Nicolaas Tinbergen 1982 Leiter der Forschungsstelle für Ethologie, dem nach ihm benannten Konrad-Lorenz-Institut der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften in Altenberg 1989 Am 27. Februar starb Konrad Lorenz im Alter von 85 Jahren.
