Gerhard Kittel (physician)

Gerhard Kittel (born March 4, 1925 in Berolzheim , North Baden; † November 9, 2011 in Marloffstein ) was a phoniatrist and pediatric audiologist who played a key role in developing the subject in Germany and Europe.

Life

Gerhard Kittel finished his school education in 1943 with the final exam at the Realgymnasium in Mosbach am Odenwald. From 1945 on he studied medicine at the University of Würzburg , graduating in 1951 with the state examination, at the same time Kittel was awarded a Dr. med. PhD. After a traineeship at the Medical University Clinic in Würzburg, Kittel worked as an assistant doctor at the Ludwigshafen University Surgical Clinic from 1952 to 1953. In 1953, he switched to the Ludwigshafen ENT clinic for an ENT specialist training. From 1960 Kittel was then senior physician at the ENT clinic of the University of Erlangen . There he completed his habilitation in 1976 on hypoxidosis of the cochlea and received the license to teach ENT medicine and phoniatrics. In 1971 Kittel was made an adjunct professor , in 1978 he became associate professor and head of the independent department for phoniatrics and pediatric audiology at the University Hospital Erlangen. Kittel held this position until his retirement in 1990.

Professional engagement (selection)

Kittel worked early on in the working group of German-speaking Phoniater , which he headed from 1980 to 1983, the predecessor organization of the German Society for Phoniatry and Pedaudiology (DGPP), of which he was co-founder and first president from 1983. Before that he worked for the interdisciplinary German Society for Speech and Voice Medicine (DGSS) , from 1961 to 1968 as chairman. He was involved in international scientific exchange, and in 1969 founded the Union of European Phonists (UEP), which enabled scientists to come into contact with the countries of the Eastern Bloc (especially the GDR, Poland and Hungary). He regularly campaigned for 20 colleagues from the Eastern Bloc to be invited to phoniatrics congresses in Western Europe and to take part in scientific and social life. In 1983 he was appointed to the General Secretariat of the UEP and a year later to the Executive Board. From 1988 he was President of the UEP. In 1988 he was appointed to the International Collegium of Experimental Phoniatrics and Communication Sciences.

Scientific activity (selection)

Kittel is the author of over 200 publications. He has authored several textbooks on phoniatrics - pediatric audiology and was editor of the journal Language-Voice-Hearing for 20 years and a board member of the international journal Folia Phoniatrica . His main research interests were: electrophysiological examinations of the inner ear; objective computer analysis of the voice; Cleft lip and palate as well as hearing, smelling and voice disorders. First descriptions of him: Vegetative laryngeal dystonia , external ear malformations by thalidomide -Einnahme, color TV magnifying glass Mikrostroboskopie / color magnifiers video Stroboscopy, video printer recordings endoscopic Larynxbefunde , multi-channel monopolar ERA in aphasia , digital radio frequency Glottographie / high speed - videography .

Even after his retirement he was active in many areas. In 2003 he donated the Gerhard Kittel Medal of the DGPP , a research award for outstanding scientific work in the field.

In 2009 he was appointed first honorary president of the DGPP because of his commitment to the field . The DGPP awards the Gerhard Kittel Medal, endowed with 1000 euros, for “young scientists [...] who have significantly promoted the development of the subject over several years”.

writer

Gerhard Kittel wrote poems and lyric texts, but his early work was lost in the turmoil of the Second World War . Afterwards he published texts and books, especially after his retirement. a. a lyric series by Specht-Verlag. He was a member of the German Association of Writers and Doctors .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ thieme.de: Language · Voice · Hearing. Retrieved October 11, 2014 . 
2. ↑ karger.com: Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica. Retrieved October 11, 2014 . 
3. ^ Gerhard Kittel Medal for the promotion of young scientists at the German Society for Phoniatry and Pedaudiology (dgpp.de); Retrieved February 15, 2013.