Dear list members,
In response to my critical presentation of the debate between him and
Jakob Stuchlik occasioned by Stuchlik’s book on Erich Frauwallner and
National Socialism, Professor Walter Slaje has honored me with a long
and angry diatribe; evidently, my critical comments stung where they
aimed. Admittedly, in spite of his obnoxiously pompous and arrogant
tone, distortive and manipulative presentation, and uncanny propensity
to deliberately ignore relevant evidence, some of the details Slaje
polemically points out are apposite and should be considered in a
further discussion. However, they are only marginally relevant to the
core of my paper. As I show, when it comes to its main points, he
fails completely, for they all stand. They are the following:
1) Frauwallner was an anti-Semite and did not change his attitude even
after WWII and the holocaust.
2) Frauwallner’s affiliation with National Socialism was not due to a
passing sentiment but a deeply held conviction, and he continued to
embrace NS propaganda long after the war.
3) Frauwallner was not only a member of the NSDAP, but also worked for
NS institutions, such as the SA and the Gestapo.
4) Frauwallner tried to appropriate Jewish property with the charming
justification that “up until now I have not acquired any Jewish
assets” (“Ich habe bisher kein Judenvermögen erworben”).
5) Frauwallner applied a racist theory to the entire history of Indian
philosophy.
I have no intention to begin a trench warfare with Slaje, that is, to
dwell on every false argument, point out every distortion, explain
every error, etc., in his paper. Were I to do so, I would have to
write a small monograph, and a tedious one, likely to exhaust both
writer and reader. What I do instead is to summarize and augment the
evidence that establishes the above-mentioned five points,
underpinning the key points of my argument which leave no room for
ambiguity. Furthermore, I say a few words on one more point made in my
paper and attacked by Slaje, namely,
6) the lack of engagement on the part of German Indologists with the
history of the discipline in the dark times of National Socialism
(“Where are the German Indologists?”).
On the whole, one may apply Frauwallner’s question about Herbert
Günther (later spelled Guenther), who stole some of his books shortly
after WWII, to Slaje: “Does he think that he is dealing with idiots?”
Slaje’s embarrassing review of Stuchlik’s work has already tarnished
his reputation. His current attempt to save face will hardly enhance it.
For those interested, my response is posted in:
https://www.academia.edu/127441538/Does_Herr_Slaje_think_that_he_is_dealing_with_idiots_Rejoinder_to_Walter_Slaje_Indologists_and_Contemporary_History_Eli_Franco_on_Erich_Frauwallner_as_a_Political_Subject_
With best wishes,
Eli
Zitat von Walter Slaje via INDOLOGY <[email protected]>:
Dear Colleagues,
I would like to draw your attention to a recent critique of one of the
articles announced by Prof Franco in his post of 22 September 2023, and
will be happy to send a PDF to those who have difficulty accessing the
article:
https://zdmg.harrassowitz-library.com/article/ZDMG/2024/2/11
If you are interested in a copy, please contact me off-list.
Best regards,
Walter Slaje
From [email protected] Fri Sep 22 08:54:26 2023
From: [email protected] (Eli Franco)
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:54:26 +0200
Subject: [INDOLOGY] German Indology and National Socialism
Dear list members,
I would like to draw your attention to a special issue of NTM Zeitschrift
f?r Geschichte der Wissenschaften, Technik und Medizin/ NTM Journal of the
History of Science, Technology and Medicine on German Indology and National
Socialism, which contains the following articles:
Moritz Epple, Maria Framke, Eli Franco, Horst Junginger, and Baijayanti
Roy, Where do we Stand in the Historiography of Small Disciplines in Nazi
Germany? The Case of Indology
Same authors, Introduction: Indology and Aryanism: Knowledge of India
in Nazi Germany?An Invitation for New Research
Maria Framke, Manoeuvring Across Academia in National Socialist
Germany: The Life and Work of Devendra Nath Bannerjea
Eli Franco, ?There is No Reliable Evidence to Pass Moral Judgment on
Frauwallner.? Erich Frauwallner, Jakob Stuchlik, Walter Slaje, and the
Whitewashing
of Austrian Indology During the Time of National Socialism
(I wish to take this opportunity to modify my final statement by
referring to Axel Michaels, ?Sheldon Pollock and German Indology.? In:
Hans Harder and Dhruv Raina (eds.), Disciplines and Movements.
Conversations between India and the German-speaking World. Hyderabad:
Orient BlackSwan, 85-104.)
Baijayanti Roy, Knowledge of India as an Instrument of Nazi Politics:
Ludwig Alsdorf, German Indology and Indian Anti-Colonialism
Isabella Schwaderer, ?Exotic Sensation? or ?V?lkisch Art?? Press
Reviews of the Indisches Ballett Menaka (Menaka Indian Ballet) on Tour
Through Germany, 1936?1938
All articles have Open Access and can be downloaded in
https://link.springer.com/journal/48/online-first
Best wishes and Shanah Tovah,
Eli
--
Prof. Dr. Eli Franco
Hegergasse 8/15
Wien 1030
Austria
--
Prof. Dr. Eli Franco
Hegergasse 8/15
Wien 1030
Austria
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