Eduard Paul Tratz

Eduard Paul Tratz ( born September 25, 1888 in Salzburg, † January 5, 1977 in Salzburg) was an Austrian zoologist.

Life

Paul Eduard Tratz studied six semesters at the Zoological Institute of the University of Innsbruck. He then volunteered in various European museums, including 1910 in Sarajevo and in Berlin in 1911. In 1912 he became an assistant at the Biological Station Helgoland. In 1913 he founded the Adriatic Ornithological on Brioni. He is the founder of the Austrian Ornithological Institute Hellbrunn ( 1914) and the Museum Haus der Natur in Salzburg (1924 ), whose director he was from then on. Because of his pioneering research in the field of ornithology was awarded to him in 1923 by the University of Innsbruck honorary doctorate. The Republic of Austria awarded him in 1935 the tenth anniversary of the house of nature the title of professor. Tratz has published several hundred scientific works in the field of zoology. He taught at the University of Innsbruck.

Period of National Socialism

During the period of National Socialism Tratz developed close proximity to the regime. He joined the SS and was promoted to SS -Sturmbannführer. As a Member earned him Heinrich Himmler gave the SS Totenkopf Ring. Had suffered so while the "fight time " injury or reprisals - - rumors that Tratz also the Blood Order of the NSDAP was wearing, can be found in his personal file of the Federal Archives is not confirmed. The House of Nature at that time was to the department " research center for the Performing and Applied Natural History Museum of Natural History " in the club Ahnenerbe eV " Research and Teaching Community the Ancestral Heritage eV " was founded on the initiative of Himmler in 1935 to " space, mind and deed Nordic Indogermanentums to explore, to make the research results to life and to give the German people; call each fellow, must cooperate. "as the statutes prescribed. To finance the association, the Ahnenerbe Foundation was founded in 1937. The Ahnenerbe operation in the early days a lot of pseudo-science, but later more and more serious research, for example by the German scholars Joseph Otto Plassmann, the Rector of the University of Munich, Walter Wüst or the historian Herbert Jankuhn. Since 1939, well-known medical crimes were committed in the Ahnenerbe, especially by Sigmund Rascher, August Hirt and Bruno Beger. In many scientific activities of the Ahnenerbe, but also meetings, Tratz was always involved from the Ahnenerbe Reich Managing Director Wolfram Sievers. These included the research center for plant genetics at Heinz Brücher or the Entomological Institute of the Institute for defense scientific applied research of the ancestral heritage under the entomologists and after the war working as a natural philosopher Eduard May His book Nature 's all 1943 published in the publishing of the Ahnenerbe Foundation. This book was distributed on the orders of Himmler to all SS officers.

Tratz made ​​during the Nazi period following controversial statement in the sense of social Darwinism: " In nature, such cripples and freaks be eradicated ruthlessly - even many of the original tribes hold on to this natural selection. [ ... ] But can only stay healthy and strong in body and soul, a people, if it is also this natural law mandates at least to a limited extent on emotions over it. "

Nevertheless Tratz managed to return as director of the Museum Haus der Natur in Salzburg. In 1963 he was made an honorary citizen of the city.

Appreciation

On the occasion of the 80th birthday in 1969, awarded by the Wildlife Protection Society Austria Eduard Paul Tratz Medal to deserving individuals in the values ​​of gold and silver.

Works

  • Attempt at processing the autumn migration of woodcock on Helgoland to historical and contemporary material, Neudamm 1913 ( p. 64 ).
  • Alpenländisches bird Wish Booklet, Salzburg 1919 ( p. 43 ).
  • From life of lively, Leipzig 1923 (233 pp. ).
  • Alpine Birds - A guide to finding and observing the birds in the Austrian Alps countries, Salzburg 1930 ( p. 51 ).
  • From the car - observations and reflections, 1931 (236 pp. ).
  • Alpine wildlife, past and present, Salzburg 1934 ( p. 91 ).
  • Nature is everything. A book for reading, watching and thinking, Berlin 1943 (123 pp. ).
  • Animals of the mountains, Seebruck am Chiemsee 1953 (203 pp. ).
  • KWA HERI! East African Safari; Salzburg 1966 (188 pp. ).
  • The large Eastern Alps book, Vienna / Munich 1969.
  • 45 years Museum of Natural History, 1969.
  • The task for the future of natural history museums, 1970.
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