Entnazifizierung und verhinderte Rückkehr

Zur personellen Situation der akademischen Psychologie in Österreich nach 1945

Abstract

The paper deals with the personal situation of academic psychology in post-war Austria. With the exception of Hubert Rohracher (Vienna) and Theodor Erismann (Innsbruck) all psychologists teaching the subject at Austrian universities during the Nazi-period were politically incriminated: Sylvia Klimpfinger and Norbert Thumb in Vienna, Otto Tumlirz, Ferdinand Weinhandl, Franz Häussler, and - although his venia legendi had not been confirmed for political reasons before 1945 - Peter R. Hofstätter in Graz, Franziska Mayer-Hillebrand and Ivo Kohler in Innsbruck. They all could teach again after 1945 - not least because emigrated psychologists were not called back to Austria after the end of World War II. Drawing on the case of Hubert Rohracher it is demonstrated that through their participation in the de-Nazification of teaching-staffs at the universities the involved professors were able to gain influence on matters of academic politics.