Bernhard Rust Reich Minister for Science, Education and Culture in the Hitler government from 1933 to 1945. Date of Birth: 30.09.1883 Country: Germany

Biography of Bernhard Rust

Bernhard Rust was born on September 30, 1883, in Hanover, Germany, into an ancient noble family. He completed his studies in German studies, philosophy, philology, art history, and music at the universities of Munich, Göttingen, Berlin, and Halle. In 1909, he became the director of a gymnasium in Hanover.

During World War I, Rust served in the military and was awarded the Iron Cross Second and First Class, as well as the Order of Hohenzollern. After the war, he joined the Nazi movement and became the Gauleiter of Hanover-Braunschweig. In 1930, he was elected as a deputy to the Reichstag for the Nazi Party.

In February 1933, Rust was appointed as the Minister of Culture of Prussia. Later that year, Adolf Hitler appointed him as the Minister of Science, Education, and Culture. Rust held this position until the end of the Third Reich.

Rust came from a noble family and received his education at the Hanover Gymnasium. He studied German studies, philosophy, and classical philosophy at the universities of Munich, Berlin, Halle, and Göttingen. He served in the educational administration of a higher school in Halle from March 7, 1908. In April 1908, he served as a volunteer in an infantry regiment. From August 1, 1909, to March 31, 1930, he worked as a counselor for the gymnasium council in Hanover and was also the director of a gymnasium in Hanover for a period of time. In 1912, he was promoted to the rank of reserve lieutenant.

Rust participated in World War I and was wounded several times. He was awarded the Iron Cross First and Second Class and the Knight's Cross of the House of Hohenzollern. At the end of the war, he commanded a company as a lieutenant. In 1919, he returned to teaching and was involved in various right-wing organizations. In 1924, he became a member of the German People's Freedom Party.

In May 1924, he became a member of the city council in Hanover. On February 27, 1925, he joined the Nazi Party (party membership number 3390). On March 22, 1925, he was appointed as the Gauleiter of North Hanover by Gregor Strasser, which was later confirmed by Adolf Hitler. From October 1, 1928, he became the Gauleiter of South Hanover-Braunschweig. On March 31, 1930, he was dismissed from government service due to some deviations in his mental state and his political activities.

From November 1930, Rust became the leader of the Nazi Party faction in the Hanover Provincial Landtag. On September 14, 1930, he became a deputy to the Reichstag for the South Hanover district. From July 15, 1932, he served as the State Inspector of the Nazi Party in Lower Saxony. On February 4, 1933, he became the commissioner of the Ministry of Science, Art, and Education in Prussia, and on April 22, 1933, he was confirmed as the minister. He also became a Prussian state counselor in 1933. Rust claimed that within a year, he was able to eliminate the school as a "refuge for intellectual acrobatics."

On February 1, 1934, Rust took over the leadership of the "National Socialist Educational Institutes." From April 30, 1934, to May 1, 1945, he served as the Imperial Minister of Science, Education, and Culture. He was responsible for the pacification of middle and higher education. In 1934, all educational institutions in Germany were taken out of the jurisdiction of local authorities and transferred to Rust's ministry. He had control over German science and the education system, appointing rectors and deans of universities, as well as leaders of student unions and the University Lecturers Association (Dozentenbund). Until 1936, he also had control over youth organizations, including the Hitler Youth. As a result of Rust's actions, higher education in Germany declined rapidly. The number of students decreased from 128,000 to 58,000 in just six years.

Although Rust officially remained the Gauleiter of Hanover until November 1940, he effectively withdrew from governing the district in 1933. In April 1945, he fled Berlin with his family and sought refuge in Mürwick, where Karl Dönitz's headquarters were located. Rust ended his life by committing suicide (shot himself).