Walter Frank
Encyclopedia
Walter Frank was a Nazi historian
, notable for his leading role in anti-Semitic research.
, Kingdom of Bavaria
. In his youth, he attended Julius Streicher
rallies; his politics were heavily influenced by the Bavarian Soviet Republic
and the Beer Hall Putsch
. Later, he studied at the University of Munich under Alexander von Müller and Adolf Stoecker
, who were anti-semitic and supportive of Adolf Hitler
. He was increasingly active in the Nazi movement, and published many anti-semitic works. He was director of the Reichsinstitut für Geschichte des neuen Deutschlands (Reich Institute for History of the New Germany, sometimes referred to as "Frank's Institute") from its opening in 1935. The institute's goal was to create a new, proper, Nazi historiography and study the "Jewish question
"; this area had its own sub-institute from 1936. Frank was a protegee of Alfred Rosenberg
, one of Nazism's chief ideologues. Notable Nazi historians working in the institute included Karl Alexander von Müller, Erich Marks
and Heinrich von Srbik. Frank committed suicide at Brunsrode near Braunschweig
in 1945, believing the world to be senseless after the death of Hitler.
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, notable for his leading role in anti-Semitic research.
Life
Frank was born in FürthFürth
The city of Fürth is located in northern Bavaria, Germany in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the two cities being only 7 km apart....
, Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
. In his youth, he attended Julius Streicher
Julius Streicher
Julius Streicher was a prominent Nazi prior to World War II. He was the founder and publisher of Der Stürmer newspaper, which became a central element of the Nazi propaganda machine...
rallies; his politics were heavily influenced by the Bavarian Soviet Republic
Bavarian Soviet Republic
The Bavarian Soviet Republic, also known as the Munich Soviet Republic was, as part of the German Revolution of 1918–1919, the short-lived attempt to establish a socialist state in form of a council republic in the Free State of Bavaria. It sought independence from the also recently proclaimed...
and the Beer Hall Putsch
Beer Hall Putsch
The Beer Hall Putsch was a failed attempt at revolution that occurred between the evening of 8 November and the early afternoon of 9 November 1923, when Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler, Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff, and other heads of the Kampfbund unsuccessfully tried to seize power...
. Later, he studied at the University of Munich under Alexander von Müller and Adolf Stoecker
Adolf Stoecker
Adolf Stoecker was the court chaplain to Kaiser Wilhelm II, a politician, and a German Lutheran theologian who founded one of the first Christian Social Gospel political parties in Germany, the Christian Social Party.-Life:Stoecker was born in Halberstadt, Province of Saxony.A staunch Protestant,...
, who were anti-semitic and supportive of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. He was increasingly active in the Nazi movement, and published many anti-semitic works. He was director of the Reichsinstitut für Geschichte des neuen Deutschlands (Reich Institute for History of the New Germany, sometimes referred to as "Frank's Institute") from its opening in 1935. The institute's goal was to create a new, proper, Nazi historiography and study the "Jewish question
Jewish Question
The Jewish question encompasses the issues and resolutions surrounding the historically unequal civil, legal and national statuses between minority Ashkenazi Jews and non-Jews, particularly in Europe. The first issues discussed and debated by societies, politicians and writers in western and...
"; this area had its own sub-institute from 1936. Frank was a protegee of Alfred Rosenberg
Alfred Rosenberg
' was an early and intellectually influential member of the Nazi Party. Rosenberg was first introduced to Adolf Hitler by Dietrich Eckart; he later held several important posts in the Nazi government...
, one of Nazism's chief ideologues. Notable Nazi historians working in the institute included Karl Alexander von Müller, Erich Marks
Erich Marks
Erich Marks is a German educationalist and the managing director of the . Furthermore he is the managing director of the German Foundation for Crime Prevention and Offender Support as well as the German Congress on Crime Prevention.-Life:After graduating from high school Erich Marks studied...
and Heinrich von Srbik. Frank committed suicide at Brunsrode near Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
in 1945, believing the world to be senseless after the death of Hitler.
Further reading
- Helmut Heiber, Walter Frank und sein Reichsinstitut fur Geschichte des neuen Deutschlands, (Stuttgart, 1966).