While investigating this subject, I came across a fascinating article at
Johns Hopkins University titled "Did Himmler Really Like Gregorian Chant?
The SS and Musicology" by Pamela M. Potter.  Ms. Potter has obviously done
a tremendous amount of reasearch, and makes some interesting observations
in this paper.  Her's an exerpt:

   This issue brings us face to face with the fundamental paradox that
   has made the Third Reich phenomenon so difficult to penetrate: how
   do you rationalize the enviable history of Germany as a bastion of
   intellectual and artistic achievement with the barbarities of the
   darkest chapter in its history? It is a contradiction that has let
   so many confrontations with this period lapse into emotionally charged
   condemnation, on the one hand, and defensiveness, on the other.  The
   fact remains that the Nazi regime allowed the best and the worst of
   German society to coexist, even within the same organization, and
   the SS-Ahnenerbe (Ancestral Heritage) illustrates one such harmonious
   relationship between the most notorious perpetrators of racial
   prejudice and genocide and some of the most privileged heirs to the
   noble German intellectual tradition.  The success of this relationship
   can be explained only by a complex and deeply-rooted interdependence
   that touches on pragmatism, mutual exploitation, and common long-term
   goals.

It would be nice if this was as cut-and-dried as many believe (i.e.,
they stayed; they were collaborators).  I know it certainly would be
easier for me to make up my mind, but the situation was fairly complex
and multi-faceted.  I recommend this paper to anyone interested in the
relationship between the Nazis and music, and looking beyond simple
labels.  Here's the URL:

   http://muse.jhu.edu/demo/modernism-modernity/2.3potter.html

Dave
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