Victim or profiteer? Gerhard Domagk (1895-1964) and his relation to National Socialism.

As the discoverer of sulfonamides and Nobel Prize winner for medicine, Gerhard Domagk (1895-1964) is without doubt one of the most important pathologists of the 20th century. Domagk has repeatedly been sketched out as a Nazi victim - especially with reference to the fact that he had been briefly imprisoned and that the Nazi regime prevented him from accepting the Nobel Prize. In particular, the life memoirs of Domagk (1995), edited by Bayer, and a Domagk biography by Ekkehard Grundmann (2001) contributed to consolidating the dictum that Domagk was far from Nazi ideology. These depictions are juxtaposed with recent works that sketch Domagk as close to the regime and as a profiteer of the Nazi system. This paper aims to explore Domagk's actual relationship to National Socialism by comparing the discrepant interpretations with the historical facts. The analysis is based on primary sources from various archives and a critical re-analysis of the available secondary literature. The assertion that Domagk was critical of Nazi ideology cannot be objectified. Domagk adapted to the regime, allowed himself to be integrated, enjoyed privileges and thus indirectly contributed to making the regime presentable. In this respect he fulfils the classic characteristics of a political follower.

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