Dr. Hans Kohn and the political takeover of the Berlin Medical Society by the National Socialist regime in 1933.

Abstract

To solidify their power over society, totalitarian regimes will usually eliminate any dissent, any perceived threats early on. These threats include not only political enemies but also educated and independent segments of society, such as professional associations. In addition, totalitarian regimes often create societal scapegoats to unify popular support. In 1933, immediately after Hitler's rise to power, the Nazi regime in Germany followed this pattern. One of the Nazis' initial targets was educational institutions and professional societies, subjugating them to ensure they could no longer serve as sources of opposition or resistance. In this review, the fate of a Jewish physician and researcher, Dr. Hans Kohn, exemplifies this takeover of all aspects of German society by the Nazi regime. He is known for discovering interalveolar pores as normal anatomical structures in the lung tissue (Pores of Kohn) and was a long-serving member of the Berlin Medical Society, holding a leadership position as its librarian until 1933. Despite his own conservative political views, he suffered persecution by the Nazi regime, as a Jew and elected leader of the Berlin Medical Society, but also as a relative of a communist party official. There was a wide range of reactions by members of the Berlin Medical Society to this political takeover. Some members were victims like Hans Kohn; others were active opponents or perpetrators, with many being compliant.