Houston Stewart Chamberlain
Houston Stewart Chamberlain was an English philosopher and writer who became influential in early 20th-century Europe, particularly in the realms of racial theory and nationalism. Born in 1855 in Southsea, England, he faced personal hardships early in life, including the death of his mother and struggles with health issues, which led him to live in various European countries. Chamberlain developed a strong affinity for German culture and language, ultimately producing his most significant work, *Die Grundlagen des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts* (*The Foundations of the Nineteenth Century*), which emphasized the perceived superiority of the Germanic people and critiqued various international movements, particularly those associated with Jewish communities.
His ideas were heavily influenced by contemporary thinkers such as Joseph Arthur de Gobineau and the composer Richard Wagner, the latter of whom he married into the family of. Chamberlain's writings and beliefs played a role in shaping anti-Semitic sentiments and were later appropriated by the Nazi regime. He was granted German citizenship, received honors for his propaganda efforts during World War I, and was noted to have had a significant encounter with Adolf Hitler shortly before his death in 1927. While Chamberlain was recognized for his intellect and writing skills, his legacy is controversial, as his views have been widely condemned for their contribution to fascist ideology and racial discrimination.
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Subject Terms
Houston Stewart Chamberlain
Anglo-German race theorist
- Born: September 9, 1855
- Birthplace: Southsea, Hampshire, England
- Died: January 9, 1927
- Place of death: Bayreuth, Germany
Cause of notoriety: An eloquent anti-Semite and devout believer in German superiority, Chamberlain was a friend and confidant to Kaiser Wilhelm II and Adolf Hitler.
Active: Late nineteenth century-1927
Locale: Germany
Early Life
Born in Southsea, England, Houston Stewart Chamberlain (CHAYM-buhr-lihn) was an infant when his mother died. His father, a career military officer, sent the boy to France to live with relatives. He suffered from what was believed to be lung problems, so after a brief time in an English military school, Houston was sent on a tour of European health spas. He was supervised by a Prussian tutor, Otto Kuntze.
Kuntze was a fervid believer in German superiority, and his constant propagandizing, in addition to the rampant anti-Semitic sentiment so prevalent in Europe at that time, helped produce in Chamberlain a philosophy that the Nazis would later admire. Later, Houston declared that he had no desire to return to the land of his birth and announced that he intended to remain in Europe to read, write, and publish his views.
Intellectual Career
Living in Cannes, France, and then Florence, Italy, Chamberlain displayed a growing antipathy to England, the land of his birth, and rarely returned there. He studied at the University of Geneva and then worked on a dissertation in natural sciences in Dresden, Germany, where he became infatuated with the German language, history, and culture. Often ill, he had ample time for reading, thinking, and, especially, writing.
His most famous work was Die Grundlagen des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts (1899; The Foundations of the Nineteenth Century, 1910), which he wrote in German. This work asserted the supremacy of Western civilization and attributed this dominant position to the influence and power of the Germanic people. Chamberlain was leery of any group or organization that he believed had universalist intentions, such as the Roman Catholic Church, international economic systems, and, primarily, Jews.
Chamberlain believed the Germanic (or Aryan) people were heirs to an incredible historical legacy. He saw his adopted and beloved culture as directly descended from classical Greece and Rome. He asserted that when the German tribes toppled the Western Roman Empire in 476 c.e., the empire had been fatally weakened by encroaching Jewish influence. Jews were disparaged because of their perceived lack of assimilation, supposed adherence to internationalist theological and economic beliefs, and non-Indo-European origin. He also believed that Jesus was only Jewish by religion, not race, a position of dubious defensibility even then.
In addition to being influenced by Kuntze, Chamberlain was also heavily influenced by the writings of Count Joseph Arthur de Gobineau and the music of Richard Wagner. Gobineau had also asserted the superiority of Aryan Germans but feared the debasement of Aryans through loathsome but inevitable miscegenation, especially with Jews. In Wagner, Chamberlain found the musical expression of all things German; he would eventually marry the composer’s daughter.
Chamberlain denounced England’s entrance into World War I as part of the anti-German Triple Entente. He was granted German citizenship and was honored with the Iron Cross for his propaganda efforts against the Allied cause. In the fall of 1923, he met Adolf Hitler and was apparently quite impressed, declaring the younger man to be Germany’s eventual savior. Hitler was impressed as well and visited Chamberlain shortly before Chamberlain’s death in 1927.
Impact
Houston Stewart Chamberlain was well educated and seemingly very intelligent. He was also a skilled writer, philosopher, and adept disseminator of propaganda. However, many of his views have been repudiated and are considered by many to be repugnant and abhorrent. He was an apologist for anti-Semites, race baiters, and bigots in general and perhaps helped pave the way for the rise of fascist ideology. His impact was substantial but, sadly, not benevolent.
Bibliography
Herman, Arthur. The Idea of Decline in Western History. New York: Free Press, 1997. Herman, while critical of Chamberlain personally and Chamberlain’s ultranationalist views, provides basic factual information.
Lindsey, Hal. The Road to Holocaust. New York: Bantam Books, 1989. This work contains only a brief mention of Chamberlain but does acknowledge his importance, while placing him in the proto-Nazi context.
Rubenstein, Richard. Approaches to Auschwitz: The Holocaust and Its Legacy. Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1987. This work discusses the Nazi manipulation of Chamberlain’s views.