Celtic Studies and their function in Germany during and after the period of the Third Reich

Abstract

During the 1990s ongoing research work among scholars in various fields, especially in language, history, folklore, and the part their area of expertise played in the politics and world-view of the Third Reich, was systematically taken in hand. One such subject looked at in this regard was Celtic Studies. This article takes the form of personal reminiscences, backed up where relevant by documentary evidence, concerning Celtic Studies during the period of the Third Reich and in so doing functions as an extension to such studies. The article also takes a look at Celtic Studies in postwar Germany and the efforts of German Celticists to cope with the legacy.