WILSER, Ludwig Johann Daniel. Karlsruhe 5.10.1850 — Heidelberg 19.11.1923. German Physician and Racist Theoretician. Son of merchant Ludwig Wilser (1817–1880) and Lydia Baeurle. Gymnasium in Karlsruhe, from 1869 medical studies at Freiburg, Heidelberg and Leipzig. Dr.Med. 1875 Freiburg. Then practising physician in Karlsruhe until 1897, when he moved to Heidelberg and lived there as private scholar. He was interested in craniometry and had relations both with anthropologists and extremist German nationalists. He was interested in the origin of peoples and suggested the original home of Germans and Indo-Europeans in Scandinavia. To this he added pure racist ideas claiming the Germans are meant to have “Weltherrschaft”. In these ideas he was sharply criticized by many anthropologists (e.g. Virchow), but also gained much popularity. He was appreciated by Nazis, but now forgotten and nothing remains of his wild ideas. Married 1885 Marie Knies (d. 1943/47), two daughters and two sons.

Publications: Die Herkunft der Deutschen. 92 p, Karlsruhe 1885; Stammbaum und Ausbreitung der Germanen. 9+59 p. Bonn 1895; Herkunft und Urgeschichte der Arier. 58 p. Heidelberg 1899; Stammbaum der indogermanischen Völker. 38 p. Jena 1907; Leben und Heimat der Urmenschen. 93 p. 1910; Die Überlegenheit der germanischen Rasse. 8+46 p. Stuttgart 1915; Das Hakenkreuz nach Ursprung, Vorkommen und Bedeutung. 10 p. Zeitz 1918; many further writings.

Sources: I. Wiwjorra, N.D.B. 28, 2024, 208-210; German Wikipedia; book details in hathitrust.org catalogue.