The professors in Kiel were mostly Protestant, which was the same as their colleagues from other German universities. The Protestants remained the clear majority until into the 20th century. While their proportion slightly decreased until 1930, it then increased again up until 1950, to then gradually sink again bit by bit. In figures, this corresponds to the following: out of 104 professors in 1919, 61 were Protestant (58%), out of 151 professors in 1940 there were 112 Protestants (74%) and out of 216 professors in 1960, 155 were Protestant (72%). Until the end of the period under investigation, the number of Protestants sank slightly - in 1965 there were 135 Protestants among 206 professors in Kiel (65%). At that point there were even the first 20 Catholic professors. In 1919 there were only two!

The proportion of Jewish professors at the CAU is insightful and should be investigated in future in more detail, above all in comparison with other German universities. There were 13 Jewish professors between 1800 and 1965, whereby in the same time frame, 15 said they were of no religious belief. It is often forgotten that in 1928/29, an assimilated Jew, Walter Jellinek, was even Rector of the CAU.

Author: Oliver Auge