Historical DFG funding 1920 to 1945

The principle of self-governing and science-led research funding embodied today by the DFG originated one hundred years ago with the founding of the Notgemeinschaft der Deutschen Wissenschaft (“Emergency Association of German Science”). The DFG has compiled detailed information on which projects were funded up until 1945.

Funding Atlas 2021

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On 30 October 1920, the Notgemeinschaft der Deutschen Wissenschaft was founded as an association under private law. This was the start of a success story: having been re-established after the Second World War with the same legal status, the organisation retains its future viability to this day.

But which projects did the Notgemeinschaft support – including during the dark chapters of its history during the period of National Socialism? Answers to this question are to be found in the information system „GEPRIS Historisch – Forschungsförderung von 1920 bis 1945“.

This provides an index of some 50,000 DFG proposals (both approved and rejected) from this period, with information on the applicants and the research institutions at which they worked. In the Funding Atlas 2021 you can find out the locations and types of institutions where research was conducted with DFG funding from 1921 to 1945. What are the similarities to the situation today, what are the most striking differences?

Figure 4-5: The main locations of DFG-funded research from 1921 to 1945 by type of institution (png)

Table 4-6: Participations in funding proposals by type of institution in the years 1921 to 1945 (xls)

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