["Baur-Fischer-Lenz" in 1921-1940 critical book reviews: a quantitative study of contemporary reception of racial eugenics theories].
In 1921 the distinguished scientists Erwin Baur, Eugen Fischer and Fritz Lenz published the book "Menschliche Erblichkeitslehre und Rassenhygiene" in two volumes. Until 1941 their work went through 5 editions and became the standard textbook on human heredity and racial hygiene (eugenics) in Germany. Between 1921 and 1941 Baur's, Fischer's and Lenz's book was reviewed in many German and foreign scientific and popular journals. 325 of these reviews have been systematically analysed. They paint a representative picture of the book's contemporary reception. The analysis of the reviews helps to quantify the acceptance of the book among the German scientific community and shows how the reviewers created the image of the book as a standard work. Furthermore, the analysis elucidates the style of thinking that was prevalent among the reviewers.
D005006:Ethnicity / Q000266:history*; D005053:Eugenics / Q000266:history*; D005828:Genetics, Population / Q000266:history*; D005858:Germany; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D028683:National Socialism / Q000266:history; D010380:Peer Review; D013782:Textbooks as Topic / Q000266:history*