Questions and Answers

Why did it take the Jung Foundation for Science and Research (hereinafter: Jung Foundation) until 2021 to commission a study?

The Jung Foundation always knew Ernst Jung as it had portrayed him for decades: as a successful entrepreneur and generous philanthropist. For a long time, the Jung Foundation had not questioned his work during the period of National Socialism. Since the Jung Foundation is neither the legal successor of its founder nor his companies, it also did not have access to personal documents or company archives.

In order to fill this biographical gap and get to the bottom of the history of the Jung Foundation’s assets, the Jung Foundation decided to commission a corresponding research project. It started to prepare the project and find a suitable historian for this independent scientific research. Meanwhile, with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, other challenges came to the fore. But finally, in February 2021, the Jung Foundation commissioned historian Dr Peter Zolling with this task.

In retrospect, the Jung Foundation could have initiated research earlier, especially because the lack of sources from this period. In order to correct the public image of Ernst Jung, the Jung Foundation has critically assessed the ambivalent role of founder Ernst Jung as an opportunist of National Socialism on the one hand and as a later philanthropist on the other and will differentiate his role in the future.

Why did it take so long to develop the study?

In February 2021, the Jung Foundation commissioned historian Dr Peter Zolling with the research project. As the Jung Foundation is neither the legal successor of its founder nor his companies, no personal documents or company archives were available. Therefore, the historian was only able to rely on a few documents from the Jung Foundation as well as public archives, which were temporarily closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a particularly complex and time-consuming research process, Dr Peter Zolling searched extensive public records and evaluated supplementary secondary literature. The results of the study were available in May 2022 and were peer reviewed in July 2022. After completing this procedure, the Jung Foundation initiated comprehensive measures and published the results of the study in February 2023.

What exactly did the Jung Foundation commission to be researched?

The Jung Foundation commissioned Dr Peter Zolling to study and document the entrepreneurial and philanthropic couple Claere and Ernst Jung and their patronage as well as the corporate history of Jung's companies, including the role of forced labour in these companies during the Second World War, according to the standards of independent scientific research.

What is the result of the study?

The study closes the biographical gap of Ernst Jung’s work during the period of National Socialism and the post-war period, when he founded all his foundations. In summary, it paints an ambivalent picture of Ernst Jung as an opportunist of National Socialism on the one hand and as a later philanthropist on the other.

According to study estimates, a total of 200 to 250 forced labourers were stationed in Jung's factories between 1939 and 1945. During this time, Ernst Jung was able to increase his considerable wealth, which he had built up between 1936 and 1939 during the "Third Reich", with the use of forced labor.

Jung's later life was shaped by another side – charity. Together with his wife Claere Jung, he founded four foundations to put their assets at the service of society. To date, the Jung Foundation alone has awarded over 15 million euros in prize money to top researchers and young researchers whose research contributes to the development of new therapy methods.

Does the original capital of the Jung Foundation derive from forced labour?

According to study estimates, a total of 200 to 250 forced labourers were stationed in Jung's factories between 1939 and 1945, 38 of them in the Stadersand plant. The original capital of the Jung Foundation comes from lease and sales proceeds from this plant. This proves a link between the foundation’s assets and forced labour.

What do the results of the study mean for the Jung Foundation?

The main findings of the study for the Jung Foundation lie in the origin of the foundation’s assets. According to study estimates, a total of 200 to 250 forced labourers were stationed in Jung's factories between 1939 and 1945, 38 of them in the Stadersand plant. The original capital of the Jung Foundation comes from lease and sales proceeds from this plant. This proves a link between the foundation’s assets and forced labour.

The Jung Foundation has critically assessed the ambivalent role of founder Ernst Jung as an opportunist of National Socialism on the one hand and as a later philanthropist on the other and will differentiate his role in the future. The Jung Foundation has also adopted comprehensive measures to face up to Ernst Jung's history, assume responsibility, contribute to further investigation of the period of National Socialism and raise awareness and help those in need.

With funding totaling 777,000 euros, the Jung Foundation for Science and Research is supporting the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

With 477,000 euros, the Jung Foundation is funding research projects and preparatory work for the planned new permanent exhibition at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial "The Medical Department of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp – Medicine in the Concentration Camp and Aftermath".
With 300,000 euros, the Jung Foundation is supporting Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the implementation of its clinical study "endTB-Q" with the aim of improving the treatment of people in emergency situations that suffer from drug-resistant tuberculosis

This way, the Jung Foundation faces up to its founder’s history and helps people in need.

Every year, the Jung Foundation furthermore awards a fellowship for a medical history thesis on a relevant topic from the National Socialist era at the Institute for the History and Ethics of Medicine at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf to support further research into this period.

In all its communications, the Jung Foundation presents Ernst Jung's role as an opportunist under National Socialism on the one hand and as a later philanthropist on the other in a differentiated way.

In addition, it has changed the names of its foundation awards so that they will refer directly to the Foundation and no longer to Ernst Jung personally. However, the Jung Foundation will continue to retain the family name, as a neutral name would exclude history, avoid active remembrance, and conceal an origin of the foundation’s assets.

Lastly, the Jung Foundation has installed a plaque on its foundation building to commemorate the 200 to 250 people who were deployed as concentration camp prisoners and forced laborers at the Ernst Jung mineral oil plants in Stadersand and Wilhelmsburg in Hamburg from 1939 to 1945.

Was Ernst Jung a Nazi?

In the 1933 Reichstag elections, Ernst Jung declared himself a supporter of the DVP – the party of the economic and educated middle classes. He did not sympathise with National Socialism, but cleverly arranged himself with the new political situation for economic reasons. For example, he applied for NSDAP membership on 1 May 1933, the day the admission stopped. Due to previous Lodge affiliation, Jung’s membership was rejected in December 1934. After the war, Jung denied his NSDAP membership in his de-nazification process.

Why was Ernst Jung known as a philanthropist?

Jung's later life was shaped by charity. Together with his wife Claere Jung, he founded four foundations to put their assets at the service of society. These are the Ernst and Claere Jung Foundations in Hamburg and Stade (two care facilities), the Claere Jung Foundation (an organisation for the blind and visually impaired), and the Jung Foundation for Science and Research, which was intended to honour special advances in human medicine. The latter has been committed to science and research to this day and has been able to support researchers who have made significant progress in the field human medicine by funding more than 15 million euros in awards in this time.

Why is Claere Jung’s role not further considered in the study?

Claere Jung had considerable influence concerning the formation and role of the Jung Foundations. Shedding more light on her role was therefore an essential part of the original research assignment. Unfortunately, this was not possible due to scarcity of sources. Dr Peter Zolling could only reconstruct the fact that she was an independent and energetic source of inspiration but belonged to a generation of women who acted primarily in the background.

Why did the Jung Foundation commission Dr. Zolling with the study?

Dr Zolling has in-depth knowledge of German history – especially the period of National Socialism. As a historian and former journalist, he has proven his analytical skills with his best-selling books “Deutsche Geschichte von 1848 bis zur Gegenwart” and “Das Grundgesetz”.

Who is Dr Zolling?

Dr Peter Zolling holds a doctorate and is a historian, author, and former journalist. After studying at the University of Hamburg and the London School of Economics & Political Science, he first worked in radio and television before moving to SPIEGEL as a political editor for contemporary history. Today, he is a communications and media consultant in Hamburg. In 2005 and 2009, he published his successful non-fiction books “Deutsche Geschichte von 1848 bis zur Gegenwart” and “Das Grundgesetz”.

How did Dr Peter Zolling proceed with the study? What are its sources?

Dr Peter Zolling’s research was significantly hampered by the lack of an archive relating to Ernst Jung’s companies as well as the lack of personal notes or documents. In addition to a few documents from the Jung Foundation, he therefore searched extensive public records and evaluated supplementary secondary literature. He mainly relied on significant collections of archives of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial, the Hamburg State Archives, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and the City Archives of Stade. On request, the Federal Archives in Berlin also provided NSDAP files for Ernst Jung. Furthermore, the Jung Foundation has motivated historical witnesses to give oral history interviews.

Have the results been reviewed?

The results were peer reviewed by Dr Niklas Lenhard-Schramm of the University of Hamburg (Faculty of Humanities, Area of work: German History). He particularly welcomes the broad sources that Dr Peter Zolling has built up, as well as his differentiated classification of Ernst Jung’s ambivalent role as an opportunist of National Socialism on the one hand and as a later philanthropist on the other.

How openly does the Jung Foundation treat study findings?

The Jung Foundation has published a summary of the study, specially written by Dr Peter Zolling, on its website. You can find it here.

The complete study can be requested and viewed here. For this purpose, only a registration by name is necessary.

Will the Jung Foundation change the names of its awards?

Yes, the names of the foundation awards shall be slightly adjusted to:
• Jung Career Advancement Award (Jung-Karriere-Förderpreis)
• Jung Prize for Medicine (Jung-Preis für Medizin)
• Jung Gold Medal for Medicine (Jung-Medaille für Medizin in Gold)
In future, the awards will therefore refer directly to the name of the foundation and no longer to Ernst Jung personally. However, the Jung Foundation will continue to retain the family name, as a neutral name would exclude history, avoid active remembrance, and conceal an origin of the foundation’s assets.

Will the Jung Foundation also change its name?

By renaming the Jung Foundation, it would clearly distance itself from Ernst Jung. It also does this by removing the first name “Ernst” from the names of its awards. However, it retains the surname, as a completely new name would exclude the story of Jung, avoid active memory and conceal an origin of the assets. Instead, the Jung Foundation will differentiate Jung's ambivalent role as an opportunist of National Socialism on the one hand and later, as a philanthropist on the other.

Will the Jung Foundation make a financial contribution to take responsibility for the history of its founder?
The Jung Foundation has adopted comprehensive measures to face up to Ernst Jung's history, assume responsibility, contribute to further investigation of the period of National Socialism, raise awareness and help those in need.

With funding totaling 777,000 euros, the Jung Foundation for Science and Research is supporting the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

With 477,000 euros, the Jung Foundation is funding research projects and preparatory work for the planned new permanent exhibition at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial "The Medical Department of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp – Medicine in the Concentration Camp and Aftermath".
With 300,000 euros, the Jung Foundation is supporting Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the implementation of its clinical study "endTB-Q" with the aim of improving the treatment of people in emergency situations that suffer from drug-resistant tuberculosis

This way, the Jung Foundation faces up to its founder’s history and helps people in need.

Does the Jung Foundation introduce new topics, awards or projects?

The Jung Foundation supports further investigation of the National Socialism period with an annual fellowship for medical history thesis on a corresponding topic at the Institute for History and Ethics of Medicine at the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf.

With funding totaling 777,000 euros, the Jung Foundation for Science and Research is supporting the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

With 477,000 euros, the Jung Foundation is funding research projects and preparatory work for the planned new permanent exhibition at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial "The Medical Department of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp – Medicine in the Concentration Camp and Aftermath".
With 300,000 euros, the Jung Foundation is supporting Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the implementation of its clinical study "endTB-Q" with the aim of improving the treatment of people in emergency situations that suffer from drug-resistant tuberculosis

This way, the Jung Foundation faces up to its founder’s history and helps people in need.

What is the task of the Jung Foundation for Science and Research?

The Jung Foundation for Science and Research is committed to the advancement of human medicine on a national, international and interdisciplinary level. It supports fundamental and subsequent research of clinical relevance, thus contributing to projects that form the starting point for developing new therapies. The foundation also builds platforms for scientific communication across national and specialist borders and advocates a collaboration of theory and practice that provides inspiration, impetus and innovation. Every year, the Jung Foundation awards three awards to top researchers. With a total sum of 540,000 euros, they are among the most highly endowed medical awards in Europe.

What is the connection between Ernst Jung and the Jung Foundation for Science and Research?

Jung's later life was shaped by charity. Together with his wife Claere Jung, he founded four foundations, including the Jung Foundation for Science and Research, which was intended to honour special advances in human medicine. They saw it as a particularly meaningful and effective way of serving the common good, practising humanity and alleviating suffering. The Jung Foundation has been working as a non-profit organisation serving society in the field of science and research to this day and, during this time, has been able to award over 15 million euros in prize money.

The Jung Foundation identifies itself through its supportive contribution to society and has long remembered Ernst Jung as a successful entrepreneur and generous philanthropist. However, the findings of the study correct this picture: According to study estimates, a total of 200 to 250 forced labourers and concentration camp prisoners were stationed in Jung's factories between 1939 and 1945, 38 of in the Stadersand plant. The original capital of the Jung Foundation comes from lease and sales proceeds from this plant. This proves a link between the foundation’s assets and forced labour.

The Jung Foundation has adopted comprehensive measures to face up to Ernst Jung's history, assume responsibility, contribute to further investigation of the period of National Socialism, raise awareness and help those in need.

With funding totaling 777,000 euros, the Jung Foundation for Science and Research is supporting the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).

With 477,000 euros, the Jung Foundation is funding research projects and preparatory work for the planned new permanent exhibition at the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial "The Medical Department of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp – Medicine in the Concentration Camp and Aftermath".
With 300,000 euros, the Jung Foundation is supporting Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the implementation of its clinical study "endTB-Q" with the aim of improving the treatment of people in emergency situations that suffer from drug-resistant tuberculosis

This way, the Jung Foundation faces up to its founder’s history and helps people in need.

In addition, the Jung Foundation has changed the names of its foundation awards. They are now called the "Jung Career Advancement Award", the "Jung Prize for Medicine" and the "Jung Gold Medal for Medicine". This means that in future, the awards will refer directly to the Foundation and no longer to Ernst Jung personally. However, the Jung Foundation will continue to retain the family name, as a neutral name would exclude history, avoid active remembrance, and conceal an origin of the foundation’s assets.