13 Facts About Hans Reinerth

Hans Reinerth was a pioneer of Palynology and modern settlement archaeology, but is controversial because of his role before and during the period of National Socialism.

Hans Reinerth was born in Bistritz, Austria-Hungary on 13 May 1900 to a Transylvania Saxon family.

The Tubingen Prehistoric Research Institute under the direction of Robert Rudolf Schmidt carried out extensive excavations at the Federsee, where Hans Reinerth soon played an important role.

Hans Reinerth examined, among other things, the Bronze Age water castle at Buchau, but never published a complete report of the excavation during his life.

Hans Reinerth was a member of the volkisch-minded, anti-Semitic Militant League for German Culture and joined the Nazi Party in 1931.

From 1933 until the end of the Second World War Hans Reinerth was head of the Reichsbund fur Deutsche Vorgeschichte.

In 1934 Hans Reinerth succeeded Gustaf Kossinna in the chair at the University of Berlin.

Hans Reinerth became editor of the magazines Germanen-Erbe and Mannus, Zeitschrift fur Deutsche Vorgeschichte and in addition was department head for pre- and early history with the Nation zialistischen Kulturgemeinde, the successor organization of the Kampfbund.

From 1940 Hans Reinerth served as head of a special prehistory staff for the Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce, which expropriated so-called "ownerless cultural property of Jews", whose owners had usually been previously killed.

Hans Reinerth was expelled from the Nazi Party on February 27,1945, by the Supreme Party Court.

The real reason was turf war between the Amt Rosenberg and the SS Ahnenerbe, since Hans Reinerth worked for Amt Rosenberg.

Hans Reinerth was one of the few archaeologists tainted by National Socialism who could not continue their career in the post-war period.

Between 1954 and 1958 Hans Reinerth was the first chairman of the newly founded Association of German Scuba Divers In 1958 he was appointed Honorary President of the VDST.