Inventory of the Theodore Fred Abel papers

Finding aid prepared by Hoover Institution Library and Archives Staff and Beth Goder

Hoover Institution Library and Archives

434 Galvez Mall

Stanford University

Stanford, CA 94305-6003

hoover-library-archives@stanford.edu

URL: http://www.hoover.org/library-and-archives

Title: Theodore Fred Abel papers

Date (inclusive): 1930-1988

Collection Number: 50000

Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives

Language of Material: English and German

Physical Description: 30 manuscript boxes (12.5 Linear Feet)

Abstract: Diaries, other writings, and printed matter related to sociological theory and world politics. Also includes autobiographical sketches (biograms) by members of the Nationalsozialistische deutsche Arbeiter-Partei relating to their reasons for becoming national socialists, collected by Theodore Abel as research material for his book Why Hitler Came into Power (1938). Digital copies of select records also available at https://digitalcollections.hoover.org.

Creator: Abel, Theodore, 1896-1988

Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Access

Closed. Microfilm use only. Materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Use

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Acquisition Information

Materials were acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1950, with increments in March 1986 and most likely 1990.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Theodore Fred Abel papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Alternate Forms Available

Digital copies of select records also available at https://digitalcollections.hoover.org.

Biographical Note

1896	Born, Lodz, Poland
1918-1920	Served in the Polish Army
1920	Liaison officer, American Young Men's Christian Association
1920-1923	Studied at University of Warsaw and University of Poznan
1923	Immigrated to United States
1925-1929	Taught at the University of Illinois
1929	Ph.D., Columbia University
1929-1951	Sociology professor, Columbia University
1933	Author, Protestant Home Missions to Catholic Immigrants
1934	Collected autobiographies of followers of Adolf Hitler
1938	Author, Why Hitler Came to Power
circa 1939-1941	Served on Herbert Hoover's Commission for Polish Relief
1951-1967	Professor and chairman, Department of Sociology at Hunter College, City University of New York
1957-1958	President, Eastern Sociological Society
1967-	Taught at University of Notre Dame, University of Waterloo (Canada), and University of New Mexico
1969	Received merit award from the Eastern Sociological Society
1970	Author, The Foundation of Sociological Theory
1988	Died

Source: "Abel, Theodore." Robert Bierstedt. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. Volume 18. Edited by David L. Sills.

Scope and Content of Collection

The Theodore Abel papers contain diaries, other writings, and printed matter related to sociological theory and world politics. The collection also includes autobiographical sketches (biograms) by members of the Nationalsozialistische deutsche Arbeiter-Partei, relating to their reasons for becoming national socialists, collected by Abel as research material for his book Why Hitler Came into Power: An Answer Based on the Original Life Stories of Six Hundred of His Followers (1938).

Abel collected the autobiographies of hundreds of followers of Adolf Hitler in 1934 as source material to improve upon the understanding of the Hitler movement. While visiting Germany in the summer of 1933, Abel was struck by the willingness of many Germans to discuss their political experiences. To follow up on this, in June 1934 he announced a prize contest designed to induce Hitler's followers to submit their life stories. He posted this announcement at all local headquarters of the Nationalsozialistische deutsche Arbeiter-Partei and in the party press:

"400 Marks in Prizes

For the Best Personal Life History of an Adherent of the Hitler Movement

Any person, regardless of sex or age, who was a member of the National Socialist party before January 1, 1933, or who was in sympathy with the movement, may participate in this contest.

Contestants are to give accurate and detailed descriptions of their personal lives, particularly after the World War. Special attention should be given to accounts of family life, education, economic conditions, membership in associations, participation in the Hitler movement, and important experiences, thoughts, and feelings about events and ideas of the post-war period.

The prizes will be awarded to authors who have submitted the most detailed and trustworthy accounts. Style, spelling, or dramatic story value will not be considered. Completeness and frankness are the sole criteria, so that even the simplest and most undramatic story will receive full consideration.

The prizes will be awarded as follows:

First prize . . . . . . 125 marks

Second prize . . . . 50 marks

Third prize . . . . . . 25 marks

Five prizes . . . . . 20 marks each

Ten prizes . . . . . . 10 marks each

The prize money is deposited in the German Bank. The contest is organized under the tutelage of the sociology department of Columbia University, whose members will be the final judges. The purpose of the contest is the collection of material on the history of National Socialism, so that the American public may be informed about it on the basis of factual, personal documents.

The contestants whose contributions are published in part or in full will receive an additional honorarium of two marks per printed page. Manuscripts will not be returned and must be submitted on or before September 1934."

Abel received 683 manuscripts, the content of which he felt justified the project and the personal expense of paying for the prizes. Of these 683 manuscripts, 48 were written by women and were not considered by Abel for the study published as Why Hitler Came into Power (he planned a separate article about the women's histories). Also excluded from study for the book were a score of biographies of one or two pages that contained very little information.

The autobiographies, called biograms in this finding aid, contain data on age, occupation, socioeconomic class, education, employment, membership in various associations, place of residence, marital status, military service in World War I, participation in military activities after World War I, first contacts with the National Socialist movement, the main reason for joining the movement, expressions of anti-Semitism, etc. Abel's assessment of the reliability and objectivity of the biograms is included in the introduction to his book, which is also the source of this scope and content note.

The incremental materials consist of diaries, speeches and writings, course materials, and printed matter. Two of Abel's later diaries can be found in this file, as well as diary transcriptions. The file includes Abel's speeches and writings on sociology, including writings on Verstehen and various book reviews. The course materials include extensive handwritten notes by Abel on topics such as Max Weber and social theory.

Other Finding Aids

Machine-readable versions of the majority of the biograms are also available via Harvard Dataverse .

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Sociology

National socialism

Germany -- Politics and government

World politics -- 20th century

Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter-Partei

Nazi Biograms

Scope and Contents note

Autobiographical sketches collected by Theodore Abel in 1934 from people who self-identified as members of the Nationalsozialistische deutsche Arbeiter-Partei before January 1, 1933, or who were in sympathy with the movement. Typically, each autobiography contains information on the writer's occupation, socioeconomic class, education, employment, membership in various associations, place of residence, marital status, military service in World War I, participation in military activities after World War I, first contacts with the National Socialist movement, the main reason for joining the movement, expressions of anti-Semitism, etc.

Abel used these autobiographies to write a book, Why Hitler Came into Power: An Answer Based on the Original Life Stories of Six Hundred of His Followers (1938).

For the names of respondents, see List of Individuals (men and women) and List of Women.

Originals

reel 1

#1-60

Scope and Contents note

Box 1

reel 1A-2

#61-136 (#89 missing)

Scope and Contents note

Box 2

reel 2-3

#137-198 (#160 missing)

Scope and Contents note

Box 3

reel 3-4

#199-263 (#204 missing)

Scope and Contents note

Box 4

reel 4-5

#264-357 (#326, 336-339 missing)

Scope and Contents note

Box 5

reel 5-6

#358-465 (#368 missing)

Scope and Contents note

Box 6

reel 6

#466-569 (#480 missing)

Scope and Contents note

Box 7

reel 7

#570-593 (#580 missing)

Scope and Contents note

Box 8

Photocopies

Scope and Contents note

This is an incomplete set of copies, estimated to include about 90 percent of the originals in boxes 1-8

reel 7

#1-172

Scope and Contents note

Box 9

reel 7

#173-302

Scope and Contents note

Box 10

reel 7

#303-465

Scope and Contents note

Box 11

reel 7

#466-593

Scope and Contents note

Box 12

List of Individuals

Scope and Contents note

For microfilm reel numbers, see Nazi Biograms series. For a list of just women respondents, see List of Women.

online digital

#1: Hermann Führbach, birthdate: 1907, number of pages: 3 (typed)