The Hannover School of Veterinary Medicine in the Third Reich. Part 1: early history, assumption of power and consolidation of the Nazi regime

During the time of the Weimar republic the professors and students at the School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover had a national-conservative political attitude with a clearly anti-republican tendency. Before 1933 the National Socialism did not play a role at the school. After the assumption of power by Hitler the 'Gleichschaltung'--which also took place at the universities--ran mostly smoothly at the veterinary school. 75% of the teaching staff and 50% of the students had joined the NSDAP (nazi party) respectively the NSDStB (nazi student organisation) at the end of the summer semester 1933. The following development of the school until World War II is closely connected with the foundation of the Military Veterinary Academy in Hannover in 1935. During the years 1935-1939 offerings were made in a traditional way and without political considerations playing a major role. With the beginning of World War II the school developed into the centre of veterinary studies in Germany. In order to meet the demand of veterinary officers and civil veterinarians the studies were shortened, trimesters were temporarily introduced und standards of examinations were lowered. At the end of the war around 45% of the school was destroyed. In the beginning the denazification meant a significant turning point but it developed into a mere episode of the history of the school by the reappointment of all the seven professors who had been dismissed in 1945/46.