Political Animal History of the Third Reich

Building on my methodological approach of a political animal history that aims at uncovering animal-specific projections and laying open the societal discussions behind these projections, this project analyses the role of dogs and horses, cows and pigs, so called “wild animals” and so called “zoo animals” for the negotiation of social exclusions and inclusions within the national socialist state. Based on a variety of sources, ranging from administrative records and popular animal books to journals from animal breeding societies and ideological position papers by leading figures of the regime, the project investigates the visible rift between the semiotic pictures painted (for example the dog as comrade) and the material dimensions of using animals for purposes of war and economic perseverance. The results of this project will be published in a monographBuilding on my methodological approach of a political animal history that aims at uncovering animal-specific projections and laying open the societal discussions behind these projections, this project analyses the role of dogs and horses, cows and pigs, so called “wild animals” and so called “zoo animals” for the negotiation of social exclusions and inclusions within the national socialist state. Based on a variety of sources, ranging from administrative records and popular animal books to journals from animal breeding societies and ideological position papers by leading figures of the regime, the project investigates the visible rift between the semiotic pictures painted (for example the dog as comrade) and the material dimensions of using animals for purposes of war and economic perseverance. The results of this project will be published in a monograph.