The Abyss of Race

Abstract

Chapter 5 focuses on the concept of race, which became ever more prominent in German anthropology after the late nineteenth century. It points out how the race concept was transferred from colonial anthropology to the examination of the domestic population. This resulted in the intention to base national identity on particular biological features. The chapter explores how the adaptation of race concepts to the national self-concept was characterized by a particular sense of temporality. This differed from historical time, as it did not focus on socio-political processes but rather on the biological characteristics of the German folk. These efforts grew more radical after 1918 and resulted in the final detachment of folklore studies from non-European anthropology after 1933.