ABSTRACT
I was born in 1920 in Cologne, Germany. I recall how, in that environment, I acquired a rather skeptical attitude quite early in life, although I do not recall the actual years when it happened. A number of events helped to form this attitude. When, as a child, I was taken to the zoo, the occasion became memorable not only because of the large number of interesting and exotic animals featured there, but also because of the prominently displayed extended African family, complete with straw huts and outside cooking fire. When, somewhat later, we visited the natural history museum, which was located inside the old Roman city wall, I was particularly impressed by the section on the human races. These were vividly illustrated by pictures and wax figures, accompanied by explanatory texts. That occasion has remained in my memory because the featured races included, in addition to such traditional categories as Black, Red, White, and Yellow races, also Aryans, Jews and Communists.
