Essay review
Of Vikings and Nazis: Norwegian contributions to the rise and the fall of the idea of a superior Aryan raceMeasuring the Master Race: Physical Anthropology in Norway, 1890–1945,
Jon Røyne Kyllingstad
, Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, U.K (2014), pp. xxii + 251, paperback, Price: UK £17.95, ISBN: 9781909254541

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2015.09.003Get rights and content

Introduction

Nazi ideology was premised on a belief in the superiority of the Germanic race. However, the idea of a superior Germanic race was not invented by the Nazis. By the beginning of the 20th century this idea had already gained not only popular but also mainstream scientific support in England, Germany, the U.S., Scandinavia, and other parts of the world in which people claimed Germanic origins (p. xiii). Yet how could this idea, which is now recognised as ideology of the most dangerous kind, be given the appearance of scientific legitimacy by some of the leading physical anthropologists of the day?

This is the question that Jon Kyllingstad sets out to answer in his excellent new book Measuring the Master Race. Kyllingstad traces the Scandinavian contributions to the rise and the fall of the idea of a superior Germanic/Nordic/Aryan race, with a focus on Norwegian physical anthropology between 1890 and 1945. The book is the first comprehensive treatment of Norwegian physical anthropology in the English language. It is essential reading for students of Scandinavian physical anthropology and related topics, such as Scandinavian prehistory and eugenics, and Norwegian national identity. Yet this fascinating book will be of great interest to a much broader audience as well. It is an important contribution to the history of racism and racial science, and its lessons are pertinent to current philosophical issues to do with ‘race’.

It might seem strange to use the history of Norwegian physical anthropology as a prism through which to see the rise and fall of the concept of the Germanic ‘master race’. Why not look to German science? The Norwegian focus makes sense, however, when we see that the so-called Germanic race was believed to have its roots not only in northern Germany, but also in southern Scandinavia (either via Central Asia or as an indigenous race). Indeed, while this ‘race’ was labelled ‘Germanic’ during the nineteenth century, the term ‘Nordic’ became more common in the early 20th century. “Scandinavia”, explains Kyllingstad, “was of primary importance in the worldview of those advocating Nordic racial supremacy, especially German nationalists including the Nazis, who proved to be deeply fascinated by all things Scandinavian” (pp. xiii–xiv). Southern Scandinavia was thought to be the cradle of a pure and superior Nordic–Germanic race.

Section snippets

The notion of a Germanic/Nordic/Aryan ‘master race’

Measuring the Master Race begins by tracing the origins of the notion of a long-skulled Germanic race. “In the 1830s and 1840s”, explains Kyllingstad, “Scandinavian anatomists, archaeologists, linguists, historians and ethnographers put forward a grand theory claiming that a succession of different races had migrated to Europe in prehistoric times and had given rise to the various European nations” (p. xix). Linguists led the way. A historical connection between Sanskrit and European languages

Implications for philosophy of race

When it comes to ‘race’, current physical anthropology is not so much a “discipline devoid of a coherent set of theories on how to interpret empirical data” (p. 225) as it is a discipline without agreement on which set of theories to use. This has led to widespread disagreement and confusion about whether race is biologically real. When Lieberman et al. (1992) sent out surveys to physical anthropologists asking whether they agreed with the claim that race is biologically real, half responded

Conclusion

Measuring the Master Race is a superb contribution to the history of the concept of a superior Germanic/Nordic/Aryan race, and it serves as the first comprehensive account of Norwegian physical anthropology in the English language, opening up a new and fascinating literature to the English reader. It is well written, well structured, and engaging to read. Kyllingstad manages to offer an extensive and authoritative account of his subject without going into the kind of historical detail that

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Frances Olive for her helpful comments. This research was funded by the Macquarie University Research Fellowship Scheme.

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