In spring of 1945, German universities were shut down and each campus was allowed to reopen only after a screening by Allied authorities. This resulted in the provisional removal of professors thought to be notorious in their support of the Nazi regime. It also included the appointment of a new Rektor, which in the British Zone, at least, meant someone who had been named on a “white list” developed in preparation for this moment. At Göttingen, Rudolf Smend emerged as the new Rektor, and he then worked with a series of education officers attached to the British military. Universities were considered by the Allies an important place to begin the “cleansing” and “re-education” of Germans. All professors eventually went through a screening process, filling out their questionnaire (Fragebogen), which was then perused, first by British authorities and then by panels made up of Germans. Individuals had to answer questions about membership in the Nazi Party or any other Nazi organization. They also had to supply information about employment, pay, and military service. According to guidelines from the Allied Control Council, individuals would then be placed in categories from one to five. In practice, categories one and two were reserved for actual criminals. That meant professors at Göttingen might be placed in Category III, for those who had actively promoted the Nazi cause. Category IV was meant for those who had supported the Nazi cause but with less active leadership. These were the so-called Mitläufer or fellow travelers. Category V designated individuals completely exonerated of Nazi sympathies.

This culling process at Göttingen impacted the lives of faculty in a fairly serious manner, at least early on. After one year, when the British still had final authority, 40 percent of the 102 tenured professors or associate professors listed in May 1945 had been affected: 16 released, 13 released and reassigned on the basis of an appeal, and 14 still under investigation. These numbers gradually decreased on appeal, especially after 1948, when Germans were granted full authority.