Famous Austrian Physicians
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If you thought that Austria has only given the world musical marvels like Haydn, Schubert, Mozart, Liszt, and J. Strauss, know that this European country has been home to some equally extraordinary, phenomenal, and world-class physicians too, whose perseverance, healing touch, innovation and compassion radicalized the world of medicine like nothing else. They are pioneers, teachers, researchers, healers, and inventors whose contributions to health and medicine are not only gargantuan, but hugely inspiring too. Where would the world be today without their path-breaking contribution to health science? Medicine and the world in general, would be forever be indebted to the sheer medical ingeniousness and accomplishments of top-notch Austrian physicians like Sigmund Freud, Wilhelm Beiglböck, Karl Stoerk, Hugo Jury, and Friedrich Kraus, who rewrote the course of medical history. Had it not been for their sheer passion and conviction, medical science would not be what it is today? Let us explore the timelines, life stories and interesting trivia & facts related to the lives of these famous Austrian physicians in the biographies below who worked their way to the top and are fondly remembered as medical wonders of their time.
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Birthdate: May 6, 1856
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Příbor, Czechia
Died: September 23, 1939
Regarded as the father of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud was a neurologist. Despite suffering criticism, psychoanalysis remains influential in the fields of psychology and psychiatry; such is the influence Freud has on humanities. Scholars believe that Freud is one of the most influential personalities of the 20th century and that his impact is comparable to that of Marxism and Darwinism.
Birthdate: March 26, 1905
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Leopoldstadt, Vienna, Austria
Died: September 2, 1997
Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl founded logotherapy. He also authored several books, most notably his bestselling autobiographical depiction of his ordeal at various Nazi concentration camps, Man's Search for Meaning. He had lost his parents, brother, and wife in the Holocaust. He later won honors such as the Oskar Pfister Award.
Birthdate: February 18, 1906
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Vienna
Died: October 21, 1980
Hans Asperger, who lent his name to Asperger’s syndrome, is remembered as a pioneer in autism research and was earlier believed to have saved children with disabilities from being killed by the Nazis. However, later evidence suggested he had sent two mentally disabled children for experiments under the Third Reich.
Birthdate: January 30, 1872
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Hluboká nad Vltavou
Died: June 1, 1945
Jewish doctor Eduard Bloch began his career as a physician for the Austrian Army. He had later treated a young Adolf Hitler and his cancer-stricken mother, charging very little fees owing to their poor financial condition. This act that made Hitler grant Bloch special protection during the Nazi attack on Austria.
Birthdate: August 28, 1903
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vienna
Died: March 13, 1990
Austrian-American psychologist Bruno Bettelheim is remembered for his work on child psychiatry and autism. While he initially looked after his family’s lumber business, he was later imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps, before escaping to the U.S. Following his suicide, it was revealed that he had faked his academic credentials.
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Josef Breuer(Physician, Psychologist, University teacher, Psychiatrist)
Birthdate: January 15, 1842
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Vienna
Died: June 20, 1925
Psychoanalyst and physician Josef Breuer inspired what later came to be known as Sigmund Freud’s cathartic method to treat mental ailments. His experiments with his patient Anna O. proved the therapeutic effect of the talking cure. He had also conducted research on the respiratory cycle and discovered the Hering-Breuer reflex.
Birthdate: September 8, 1910
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Bregenz
Died: February 16, 1948
Best known for leading the mass killing of Jews at the Treblinka extermination camp, psychiatrist Irmfried Eberl was eventually dismissed from his post because of his inefficiency in disposing of the bodies and thus causing a cremation backlog. Following the war, he hanged himself before being tried for his crimes.
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Otto F. Kernberg(Psychiatrist, Psychanalyst, University teacher, Non-fiction writer, Psychologist)
Birthdate: September 10, 1928
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vienna
After fleeing to Chile with his family during the Nazi regime, Otto F. Kernberg studied medicine and then psychiatry. He eventually moved to the U.S. on a Rockefeller fellowship and grew up to be one of the finest psychoanalysts of the country. He now teaches at the Weill Cornell Medicine.
Birthdate: March 17, 1877
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Gniebing-Weißenbach
Died: February 13, 1920
Born to renowned criminologist Hans Gross, Otto Gross initially worked with his father but later deviated to depth psychology. It is believed, he was a liberal drug user and an advocate of polyamory. He apparently allowed his wife to have sexual relationships with other men, often participating as an observer.
Birthdate: March 7, 1857
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Wels
Died: September 27, 1940
Nobel Prize-winning Austrian psychiatrist Julius Wagner-Jauregg is best known for revolutionizing medical science by partially treating general paresis through artificial induction of malaria. He paved the path for shock therapy and fever therapy to treat mental ailments. He also studied thyroid and ovarian issues. He later became a Nazi sympathizer.
Birthdate: May 18, 1889
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bucharest
Died: May 14, 1974
Romanian-American psychiatrist Jacob L. Moreno is best remembered for introducing the concept of psychodrama, consisting of role-play exercises and dramatizations by patients, as a therapeutic method to cure mental ailments. He also pioneered group psychotherapy, introduced the study of social networks, and coined the terms sociometry and sociatry.
Birthdate: May 7, 1971
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
The daughter of prominent social psychologist Wolfgang Wagner, Pamela Rendi-Wagner is a renowned physician who specializes in tropical medicine and infectious diseases. She created history as the first women to chair the Social Democratic Party. She has also led the public health department of the Austrian government.
Birthdate: April 26, 1829
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Bergen auf Rügen, Germany
Died: February 6, 1894
Born to a pastor father in Prussia, Theodor Billroth was pushed to study medicine by his mother. Initially undecided over his career, he devoted most of his first university year to music. Later, he gained fame as a pioneer of abdominal surgery and also examined how bacteria causes wound fever.
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Aribert Heim(Austrian Schutzstaffel (SS) doctor. During World War II)
Birthdate: June 28, 1914
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bad Radkersburg, Austria
Died: August 10, 1992
Known as Dr. Death and the Butcher of Mauthausen, Nazi doctor Aribert Heim terrorized the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp with his deadly experiments and gruesome methods of torture. He apparently injected poison into the inmates and often removed organs leaving the inmates to die. He escaped prosecution and moved to Egypt.
Birthdate: April 12, 1924
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: August 2, 2003
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Constantin von Economo(Former psychiatrist, neurologist known for his discovery of encephalitis lethargica and his atlas of cytoarchitectonics of the cerebral cortex)
Birthdate: August 21, 1876
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brăila, Romania
Died: October 21, 1931
Birthdate: May 12, 1874
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: February 28, 1929
Birthdate: April 22, 1876
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: April 8, 1936
Birthdate: December 3, 1857
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bohemia, Czech Republic
Died: March 21, 1944
Birthdate: November 19, 1722
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Graz, Austria
Died: May 17, 1809
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Max Schur(Physician and friend of Sigmund Freud)
Birthdate: September 26, 1897
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
Died: October 12, 1969
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Gunther Philipp(Austrian Actor Who was Known for His Portrayal Of Comic Roles)
Birthdate: June 8, 1918
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Maroshévíz , Austria-Hungary
Died: October 2, 2003
Gunther Philipp was an Austrian actor, scriptwriter, swimmer, and physician. Best remembered for his portrayal of comic roles, Philipp appeared in 147 films between 1949 and 2002. He also wrote scripts for 21 films over the course of his career. Also a competitive swimmer, Gunther Philipp held the Austrian record for 14 years in the 100-meter breaststroke.
Birthdate: April 24, 1903
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: January 14, 1956
Austrian-born British anthropologist Fred Nadel specialising in African ethnology. Before turning to anthropology, Nadel toured with his own opera company and wrote a biography of the Italian composer Ferruccio Benvenuto Busoni. He served as a lecturer at the London School of Economics and then in 1948 became the head of the anthropology department at the University of Durham.
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Karl Schönherr(Austrian Writer Known for His Simple, Robust Plays Dealing with the Political and Religious Problems of Peasant Life)
Birthdate: February 24, 1867
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Axams, Austria
Died: March 15, 1943
Born to a schoolteacher, Karl Schönherr initially studied philosophy and grew up to become a physician. However, he later gained fame for his iconic plays such as Faith and Homeland and The Judas of the Tirol. He was inspired by Henrik Ibsen and merged symbolism and realism in his works.
Birthdate: July 31, 1860
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Steinhaus, Austria
Died: October 25, 1939