Psychologists and the national socialist access to power

The destruction of psychological science during the early years of the National Socialist (NS) regime is an important part of psychology's history. The proceedings of the congresses of the German Society for Psychology describe the very quick takeover of German psychology by the supporters of the regime and the removal of any opponents of the regime and of Jewish members from the executive structure. The leadership of the field was taken over by psychologists who were early supporters of the government's antidemocratic and anti-Semitic policies. Some of the figures of the NS period reappeared in leading positions in the postwar period.