"The Sword of Our Science": The Professional Life and Political Times of Otmar von Verschuer

Clarkson University, Potsdam NY

Investigators

Abstract

This project--supported through the Biology & Society initiative of the Science, Technology & Society (STS) Program and the BIO Directorate at NSF--investigates the life of German human geneticist Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer (1896-1969). von Verschuer is infamous for the ethically reprehensible research he undertook together with his former doctoral student, Josef Mengele. Although the details of von Verschuer's connection to medical crimes at Auschwitz are well-documented, the conjunction of circumstances accounting for his descent into the moral abyss has not been adequately explored. This project is the first to examine von Verschuer's post-War career trajectory at the University of Münster during the early years of the Federal Republic of Germany. von Verschuer's life and professional career provides a vehicle to point out the moral pitfalls inherent in making unethical accommodations in science. Using a wide variety of heretofore unexamined archival sources, the biography weaves together the particulars that helped forge the life of this world-renowned scientist, a man who remained a devout Protestant and eugenicist throughout his professional life. More specifically, it examines how von Verschuer used "the sword of science" to negotiate the political contours of four historical eras in the interest of advancing his research agenda. Informed by the STS literature on science and politics as mutually beneficial resources, the investigation emphasizes the symbiotic relationship between von Verschuer's science and German politics throughout the formative years of genetics disciplines. The interplay of politics and professionalism that shaped von Verschuer's long and checkered career raises important ethical questions about biomedical science in our own age of genomic medicine. The research project will result in a book that seeks to prepare students in the biomedical sciences for the potential moral dangers facing them as professionals, and to engage general readers in thinking about contemporary debates on genetic technologies. The PI will be involved in the development of a new PhD program in Biology at Clarkson University that will feature history of biology in interdepartmental courses on politics and ethics in biology.