Zukunft braucht Erinnerung

People, Decisions, and the Institutional Responsibility of the DAAD during the National Socialist Era

How did individuals in the early years of the DAAD act under the conditions of the Nazi regime? How did they navigate the tensions between compliance, resistance, and the threat of persecution?

The portrait project ‘Future Needs Remembrance’ sheds light on the lives of ten former DAAD employees, alumni and alumnae who dealt with or were affected by National Socialist rule in very different ways. Some fully aligned themselves with the system, while others conformed to the structures without openly opposing them. A few dared to confront injustice in their own – way whether openly or quietly. Others became targets of persecution due to their origins, beliefs, or affiliations.

Bild von Berliner Stadtschloss

Reconstructing these biographies proves challenging, as many historical documents were destroyed. A significant portion of these records was lost in the fire at the Stadtschloss in 1945. It remains unclear whether the fire alone was responsible for the loss or if deliberate destruction played a role. Nonetheless, contemporary historical sources offer insights into the individual scopes of action, decisions, and nuances, enabling a nuanced understanding of this period.

The featured portraits encourage reflection on questions of responsibility, moral dilemmas, and the long-term consequences of human actions. They invite engagement with issues of attitudes, freedom of choice, consequences, and institutional decisions—topics that remain as relevant today as they were back then.

Through this approach, the project aims to foster a nuanced perspective on the DAAD's past, helping us to act responsibly in the present and shape the future actively.

By May 2025, ten portraits will be published here, illustrating the diverse ways DAAD staff, alumni, and alumnae of the time navigated between compliance, confrontation, and exclusion.

Click on the portraits and discover the diverse life paths behind the names – stories that illustrate how individual decisions and attitudes shaped the era and the DAAD.

DAAD - Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst - German Academic Exchange Service