Ahnenerbe [SEP] dissolved or abolished
stone-age artifacts, rather than Gothic.
Expeditions Ukraine.
In June 1943, 27-year-old "Untersturmführer" Heinz Brücher, who held a PhD from Tübingen in botany, was tasked with an expedition to Ukraine and Crimea. "Hauptsturmführer" Konrad von Rauch and an interpreter identified as Steinbrecher were also involved in the expedition.
In February 1945, Brücher was ordered to destroy the Ahnenerbe's 18 active research facilities to avoid their capture by advancing Soviet forces. He refused, and after the war continued his work
The department also tried to make use of pre-history in the training and indoctrination of SS members. When the RuSHA was restructured, the department was dissolved with its responsibilities passing to the "Ahnenerbe". The "Abteilung Ausgrabung" in Himmler's personal staff was established in 1935 on the initiative of Langsdorff. In March 1937, Höhne joined the leadership of this department. By 1937, it was responsible for SS excavations and maintained its own personnel for this activity.
The Ahnenerbe was, according to historian Heather Pringle