[INDOLOGY] German Indology and National Socialism

Wed Feb 5 20:10:00 UTC 2025

Dear list members,

In 2023, Prof. Franco wrote an aggressive paper that was openly designed to
hurt. He expresses his delight that his "critical comments stung where they
aimed". The attributes with which he graced me there make his intentions
more than clear: "vicious, blatant, disgraceful, sarcastic, haughty,
brutal, contemptuous, harsh, furious, abusive, contemptuous, rude, false,
inaccurate, whitewashing, clumsy, unsuccessful, semblance of a scholarly
approach, obnoxious, comical," etc. In 2024 I tried to set the record
straight by correcting Franco's numerous errors, his manipulative use of
quotations and his distortion of data by using and presenting the original
sources. My publication announcement on this list in 2024 was made
impartially, with a neutral reference to an earlier announcement by Prof.
Franco the year before. There were no invectives from my side and no
discussion of content. However, Prof. Franco, who cannot stand to be
corrected, has vindictively decided to spoil my present vacation by
showering me with yet another series of invectives. Here is how he
unintentionally exposed himself this time (2025): "obnoxious, pompous,
arrogant, distortive, manipulative, polemical, idiotic, false argument,
error, embarrassing, tarnished reputation, cheap maneuver, whitewashing,
apologetic scholarship, despicable, aggressive", etc.

Voilà, the language and thoughts of a German indologist in the 21st century.

Obviously, Prof. Franco wants to drag me into his dirty corner, where he
feels at home. But I won't take the bait. Having failed in every other way,
he remains faithful to his methods. I have no use for them and will not
take part in debates au goût du Prof. Franco. Nor will I discuss home-made
papers, on which anything can be smeared and which can be changed at any
time, with anyone, and certainly not *coram publico*. Debates on such
sensitive and complex issues have their proper place in peer-reviewed
publications, where a minimum of academic quality control can be assumed if
the editors act responsibly. A discussion forum that cannot even claim to
meet the standards required of research papers is certainly not the place
to explore such issues. I will not comment further on this matter until
Prof. Franco has published his latest claims in a journal, stamped and
sealed by peers and editors. Should he make substantial points by
presenting new and reliable evidence about Frauwallner, there will be a
scholarly response from my side. Until then, I will not help him by
pointing out any errors before a possible publication.

But note that my “idiotic” statement that there was no reliable evidence to
pass moral judgment on Frauwallner (Franco 2025: 11) was originally made in
the explicit context of a typological pattern underlying Stuchlik's
accusation that Frauwallner had participated in the theft of Jewish
positions (Slaje 2010: 453-454; see also Franco 2023: 253). Stuchlik and
Franco had dwelt at length on the crime they had constructed and imputed to
Frauwallner, of which nothing remained after the inspection of the files.
Accordingly, in 2025 Franco tacitly passed over his fabrication of
Frauwallner's takeover of Jewish positions. Miraculously, another piece of
Franco's reliable evidence has disappeared. And sadly, none of Franco's
futile efforts contribute to the hard evidence needed to establish
Frauwallner as the anti-Semite he portrays him to be. With Franco it all
boils down to someone desperately wanting a few strands of Frauwallner's
scalp on Stuchlik's belt for himself. Too bad the trophy was a wig.

Regards,
WS

Am Mo., 3. Feb. 2025 um 21:30 Uhr schrieb Eli Franco via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info>:

>
>
>
> Dear list members,
>
> In response to my critical presentation of the debate between him and
> Jakob Stuchlik occasioned by Stuchlik’s book on Erich Frauwallner and
> National Socialism, Professor Walter Slaje has honored me with a long
> and angry diatribe; evidently, my critical comments stung where they
> aimed. Admittedly, in spite of his obnoxiously pompous and arrogant
> tone, distortive and manipulative presentation, and uncanny propensity
> to deliberately ignore relevant evidence, some of the details Slaje
> polemically points out are apposite and should be considered in a
> further discussion. However, they are only marginally relevant to the
> core of my paper. As I show, when it comes to its main points, he
> fails completely, for they all stand. They are the following:
>
> 1) Frauwallner was an anti-Semite and did not change his attitude even
> after WWII and the holocaust.
> 2) Frauwallner’s affiliation with National Socialism was not due to a
> passing sentiment but a deeply held conviction, and he continued to
> embrace NS propaganda long after the war.
> 3) Frauwallner was not only a member of the NSDAP, but also worked for
> NS institutions, such as the SA and the Gestapo.
> 4) Frauwallner tried to appropriate Jewish property with the charming
> justification that “up until now I have not acquired any Jewish
> assets” (“Ich habe bisher kein Judenvermögen erworben”).
> 5) Frauwallner applied a racist theory to the entire history of Indian
> philosophy.
>
> I have no intention to begin a trench warfare with Slaje, that is, to
> dwell on every false argument, point out every distortion, explain
> every error, etc., in his paper. Were I to do so, I would have to
> write a small monograph, and a tedious one, likely to exhaust both
> writer and reader. What I do instead is to summarize and augment the
> evidence that establishes the above-mentioned five points,
> underpinning the key points of my argument which leave no room for
> ambiguity. Furthermore, I say a few words on one more point made in my
> paper and attacked by Slaje, namely,
>
> 6) the lack of engagement on the part of German Indologists with the
> history of the discipline in the dark times of National Socialism
> (“Where are the German Indologists?”).
>
> On the whole, one may apply Frauwallner’s question about Herbert
> Günther (later spelled Guenther), who stole some of his books shortly
> after WWII, to Slaje: “Does he think that he is dealing with idiots?”
>
> Slaje’s embarrassing review of Stuchlik’s work has already tarnished
> his reputation. His current attempt to save face will hardly enhance it.
>
> For those interested, my response is posted in:
>
> https://www.academia.edu/127441538/Does_Herr_Slaje_think_that_he_is_dealing_with_idiots_Rejoinder_to_Walter_Slaje_Indologists_and_Contemporary_History_Eli_Franco_on_Erich_Frauwallner_as_a_Political_Subject_
>
> With best wishes,
> Eli
>
>
>
>
> Zitat von Walter Slaje via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info>:
>
> > Dear Colleagues,
> >
> >
> >
> > I would like to draw your attention to a recent critique of one of the
> > articles announced by Prof Franco in his post of 22 September 2023, and
> > will be happy to send a PDF to those who have difficulty accessing the
> > article:
> >
> >
> >
> > https://zdmg.harrassowitz-library.com/article/ZDMG/2024/2/11
> >
> >
> >
> > If you are interested in a copy, please contact me off-list.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > Walter Slaje
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > From franco at uni-leipzig.de  Fri Sep 22 08:54:26 2023
> >
> > From: franco at uni-leipzig.de (Eli Franco)
> >
> > Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:54:26 +0200
> >
> > Subject: [INDOLOGY] German Indology and National Socialism
> >
> >
> >
> > Dear list members,
> >
> >
> >
> > I would like to draw your attention to a special issue of NTM Zeitschrift
> > f?r Geschichte der Wissenschaften, Technik und Medizin/ NTM Journal of
> the
> > History of Science, Technology and Medicine on German Indology and
> National
> > Socialism, which contains the  following articles:
> >
> >
> >
> > Moritz Epple, Maria Framke, Eli Franco, Horst Junginger, and  Baijayanti
> > Roy, Where do we Stand in the Historiography of Small  Disciplines in
> Nazi
> > Germany? The Case of Indology
> >
> >
> >
> > Same authors, Introduction: Indology and Aryanism: Knowledge of India
> >
> > in Nazi Germany?An Invitation for New Research
> >
> > Maria Framke, Manoeuvring Across Academia in National Socialist
> >
> > Germany: The Life and Work of Devendra Nath Bannerjea
> >
> >
> >
> > Eli Franco, ?There is No Reliable Evidence to Pass Moral Judgment on
> >
> > Frauwallner.? Erich Frauwallner, Jakob Stuchlik, Walter Slaje, and the
> > Whitewashing
> >
> > of Austrian Indology During the Time of National Socialism
> >
> > (I wish to take this opportunity to modify my final statement by
> >
> > referring to Axel Michaels, ?Sheldon Pollock and German Indology.? In:
> >
> > Hans Harder and Dhruv Raina (eds.), Disciplines and Movements.
> >
> > Conversations between India and the German-speaking World. Hyderabad:
> >
> > Orient BlackSwan, 85-104.)
> >
> >
> >
> > Baijayanti Roy, Knowledge of India as an Instrument of Nazi Politics:
> >
> > Ludwig Alsdorf, German Indology and Indian Anti-Colonialism
> >
> >
> >
> > Isabella Schwaderer, ?Exotic Sensation? or ?V?lkisch Art?? Press
> >
> > Reviews of the Indisches Ballett Menaka (Menaka Indian Ballet) on Tour
> >
> > Through Germany, 1936?1938
> >
> >
> >
> > All articles have Open Access and can be downloaded in
> >
> > https://link.springer.com/journal/48/online-first
> >
> >
> >
> > Best wishes and Shanah Tovah,
> >
> > Eli
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> > Prof. Dr. Eli Franco
> >
> > Hegergasse 8/15
> >
> > Wien 1030
> >
> > Austria
>
>
> --
> Prof. Dr. Eli Franco
> Hegergasse 8/15
> Wien 1030
> Austria
>
>
>
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