▁were ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁wider ▁history ▁of ▁ab using ▁Afr icans ▁for ▁experiments , ▁and ▁echo ed ▁earlier ▁actions ▁by ▁German ▁anth rop olog ists ▁who ▁st ole ▁ske let ons ▁and ▁bodies ▁from ▁African ▁gra vey ards ▁and ▁took ▁them ▁to ▁Europe ▁for ▁research ▁or ▁sale . ▁An ▁estimated ▁ 3 0 0 0 ▁sk ull s ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁Germany ▁for ▁study . ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁after ▁ 3 ▁years ▁of ▁tal ks , ▁the ▁first ▁sk ull s ▁were ▁due ▁to ▁be ▁returned ▁to ▁Nam ib ia ▁for ▁bur ial . ▁Other ▁experiments ▁were ▁made ▁by ▁Doctor ▁B of inger , ▁who ▁inject ed ▁Her ero ▁who ▁were ▁suffering ▁from ▁sc ur vy ▁with ▁various ▁subst ances ▁including ▁ar sen ic ▁and ▁op ium . ▁After wards ▁he ▁research ed ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁these ▁subst ances ▁by ▁performing ▁aut ops ies ▁on ▁dead ▁bodies . ▁ ▁Social ▁Dar win ism ▁▁ ▁Social ▁Dar win ism ▁is ▁the ▁theory , ▁" that ▁human ▁groups ▁and ▁races ▁are ▁subject ▁to ▁the ▁same ▁laws ▁of ▁natural ▁selection ▁as ▁Charles ▁Dar win ▁had ▁perce ived ▁in ▁plants ▁and ▁animals ▁in ▁nature ." ▁According ▁to ▁numerous ▁histor ians , ▁an ▁important ▁ide ological ▁component ▁of ▁German ▁national ism ▁as ▁developed ▁by ▁the ▁intellectual ▁el ite ▁was ▁Social ▁Dar win ism . ▁▁ ▁It ▁gave ▁an ▁imp et us ▁to ▁German ▁assert iveness ▁as ▁a ▁world ▁economic ▁and ▁military ▁power , ▁aim ed ▁at ▁compet ing ▁with ▁France ▁and ▁the ▁British