Rudolf Stich was the mentor to many generations of German surgeons. He was made an honorary citizen of the city of Göttingen and was recipient of the Commander´s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. But he had also been a member of the SA, the SS and the NSDAP (the official Nazi party) in addition to being the Dean of the University Medical Faculty during the years 1938 to 1945. It was on his watch that the Surgical Clinic carried out numerous forced sterilizations. How did Rudolf Stich relate his own biography and the traditions of his discipline with the Nazi ideology? How did he manage to become and remain a positive figure for the university, the city of Göttingen and the medical profession in general despite his involvement with the Nazis? This book takes a look through the kaleidoscope that was Stich´s life from a number of different perspectives to elucidate this question.

Dr. Stine Marg ist Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin am Göttinger Institut für Demokratieforschung. Bonnie Pülm ist Referendarin für gymnasiales Lehramt. Katharina Trittel ist Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin am Göttinger Institut für Demokratieforschung.