The German University Purge Germany is signifying the opening of
1934 by the imposition of severe restrictions on entry into universities. The numerus clausus, rigidly limiting the proportion of Jews in universities, has been common in. the past throughout Eastern Europe. In Germany, of course, no Jews will be admitted at all, but quite apart from that there is to be a rigorous limitation, with a view to bringing the number of entries into rough relationship with the posts likely to be available to graduates at the end of the university course. Expressed numerically this means that some 15,000 students will be allowed to begin their university courses and some 23,000 would-be entrants ruled out. Only ten per cent, of the 15,000 will be women. The excluded thousands will no doubt drift into manual industry of some kind. With such limitations in force there is abundant scope for the selection of candidates on any basis, and there can be small doubt that the basis will be primarily political, the universities thus becoming first and foremost dependable propagators of the true Nazi faith.
Previous page
