There is evidence that in 1950, there was a movement to reinstate Pernkopf as the chair of the anatomy department. He started to rehabilitate his Curriculum Vitae. Several faculty members suggested that he was the only person who could provide the leadership needed to reestablish the program. During this time, denazification was occurring in formerly Nazi-held areas. In trying to rehab his image, Pernkopf claims, among other things:
- he didn’t actively try to become dean of the medical school
- he allowed ‘mixed bloods’ to study
- he didn’t allow politics to decide his personnel decisions
In fact, Professor Stefan Jellinik provided a statement that Pernkopf had helped him escape to England in 1939. This was likely an attempt to give Pernkopf persilschein – a “clean bill of health” to free him from the denazification process.
He is never given the chair position.