Otto Ammon

Otto Ammon ( born December 7, 1842 in Karlsruhe, † January 14, 1916 ) was a German Nationalist sociologist, anthropologist and eugenicist. He is regarded as the founder of Social Anthropology in Germany.

Life and work

Ammon worked as an engineer and from 1868 as an editor and publisher in 1863. In 1883 he conducted a geographical and geological exploration of the Baden Roman roads and anthropological research and from 1887 was a member of the Karlsruhe antiquity Association and the Natural Science Association. Later he was a member of the Executive Committee of the Pan-German League.

In the years 1896 to 1899 Otto Ammon was with Otto Reuss owner of the Baden State newspaper. In 1904 he received from the University of Freiburg honorary doctorate.

Ammon is considered to be supporters of the breed theoretical school of sociology. In his main work " The natural selection in humans," he tried to prove that in the higher classes of society, a significantly higher proportion of members of is to find the " Germanic " type, as for example, the inherited Germanic bravery would also be reflected in scientific activity.

Formulated by him Ammonsche law states that particularly members of the Nordic type migrate to the cities, which in the urban population a selection in favor of light-colored pigmentation takes place.

Writings (selection )

• Natural selection in humans, 1893
• The society and its natural basis, 3 vols, 1895, 1896, 1900
• For the Anthropology of Baden, 1899
• The importance of the peasantry for the state and the society, 1894 ² 1906.