ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Reich Research Council

The Reich Research Council was a group of important people who met in Germany a long time ago, when you weren't even born yet. They wanted to learn more about lots of things, like science and medicine, so they could make their country even better. They were kind of like really smart detectives.

The council was made up of lots of different people who were experts in different fields. Some were doctors, some were scientists, some were engineers, and others knew a lot about history or geography. The Council worked together to share their knowledge and discover new things.

They also helped decide how money was spent on research projects. You know how your allowance sometimes needs to be spent on different things, like toys or clothes or even saving money? Well, the Reich Research Council was like the parent who decided where the money should go for some really important projects, like studying plants or building new airplanes.

Unfortunately, the Reich Research Council was part of a time when Germany was controlled by a bad man named Hitler, who wanted to do very bad things. The Council was used to help the government do some very bad things, like developing new weapons for war or testing dangerous medicine on people who didn't want to be a part of it.

So even though the Reich Research Council was made up of very smart people who wanted to help make their country better, they were used in a bad way by the government. We always have to remember that just because someone is smart or important, it doesn't mean they are always using their knowledge for good.