Behind the photographs: Close relations between German pharmacologists and the British Pharmacological Society in the 1930s observed through the diary of Wolfgang Heubner.

In the 1930s, the British Pharmacological Society was founded and rapidly established itself, with Sir Henry Dale, Harold Burn and Ernest Verney playing leading roles. At the same time, with the rise of National Socialism in Germany, many pharmacologists were persecuted for their Jewish ethnicity or for political reasons, resulting in a substantial migration of scientists to the UK. Using recently discovered photographs found in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Oxford, together with the detailed diary of German pharmacologist Wolfgang Heubner held at Hannover Medical School, this study reveals close relationships between British pharmacologists, German pharmacologists and persecuted pharmacologists. Members of these groups met informally in the UK on several occasions up to just 2 months before the outbreak of the Second World War. Within these settings, scientific ideas were exchanged freely and collaborative projects discussed. Photographs, diary entries and meeting records provide substantial evidence of strong personal and professional relationships formed through both scientific and social interactions. In these contexts, political differences do not appear to have overtly disrupted scientific exchange or social interaction. The photographs further suggest that genuine friendships existed between British pharmacologists, German colleagues associated with the National Socialist regime and persecuted German-Jewish scientists. Together, these findings demonstrate how long-standing collaborations, shared professional identities and common collective goals helped sustain relationships during a period of profound political division.