Julius Beer

Berlin memorial plaque on the house, Unter den Linden 13, in Berlin-Mitte

Julius Beer , born Judas Meyer Beer (born August 18, 1822 in Berlin ; † November 18, 1874 there ) was a German doctor and local researcher .

Life

Julius Beer came from a traditional Jewish family in Berlin and was a cousin of the second degree of the composer Giacomo Meyerbeer . He attended the grammar school in the gray monastery and studied medicine at the Berlin University , where he received his doctorate in 1846. He then practiced as a doctor in the Spandau suburb .

There he dealt critically with the level of medical care of the Berlin population at that time, in particular he made several suggestions to improve the rescue system by setting up medical guards based on the Viennese model. In 1856 he caused a sensation with his proposals to legalize urban prostitution as a means of improving sexual hygiene. As a contribution to medical practice, in 1863 he first introduced the " leech for blood removal of any length".

In the beginning of the Wilhelminian era , Beer complained about the city's lack of awareness of history and viewed with concern the increasing losses in historical buildings and the density of urban space. Together with others, he took the initiative in 1865 to found a Berlin history association based on the model of the association for the history of the Mark Brandenburg, which had existed since 1837 . In a call, which was also supported by the city archivist Ernst Fidicin , it said:

“In the current time, mostly turned towards materialism, we see the old monuments of our hometown more and more dwindling. A large part of old Berlin history has already sunk into the flow of time. But still there are many treasures to be found that are hidden away. Encouraged by the various successes [...] the undersigned committee intends to set up an association for the history of the city of Berlin ”.

The Association for the History of Berlin was founded on January 28, 1865 and Julius Beer was elected Secretary General. The association, which is currently still active, soon had several hundred members, including Adolph Menzel and Theodor Fontane .

Julius Beer's grave

In lectures and publications of the association as well as in popular press articles Beer devoted himself particularly to the history of the Jews in Berlin and the Mark . According to old documents, he described in detail the history and occupancy of the old Jewish cemetery on Große Hamburger Straße, which was closed in 1827 . His references to an early Jewish cemetery and a "Judenlazareth" on Judengasse also met with great interest. Even current publications often refer to both institutions, although they have not been proven by other sources in the meantime. Even if some of his statements can no longer be followed according to today's knowledge, with his work Beer made a significant contribution to the preoccupation with early Berlin history.

Julius Beer was buried in the Jewish cemetery on Schönhauser Allee . On his tombstone it says:

He was a helper to the sick and afflicted, a friend of the poor, a tireless researcher in the field of science.

Own writings (selection)

Choreae casus singulari complicatione insignis in Wolffiana caritatis clinice ab auctore observatus (dissertation); Schade, Berlin 1846.
The shortcomings of the Prussian medical legislation with special reference to the city of Berlin ; Nöhring, Berlin 1855.
The moral consequences of the closure of public houses for the city of Berlin (lecture in the Society for Medicine); F. Nelte, Berlin 1856.
Memoirs of a Berlin winding woman ; Levit, Berlin 1872.

Web links

Commons : Julius Beer - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

^ Letter from Julius Beer to Meyerbeer, in: Sabine Henze (ed.), Hans Moeller: Correspondence and diaries - Giacomo Meyerbeer ; de Gruyter, Berlin 1999, p. 208 [1]
^ Justus Goldmann: History of medical emergency care - emergency care in. Berlin ; Diss., Bielefeld 2000; P. 106 pdf
^ ^A ^b Martin Mende: Julius Beer and the founding of the Association for the History of Berlin in 1865 ; in "Mitteilungen des Verein für die Geschichte Berlins", issue 3/2006, p. 382f.
^ Isidor Fischer (ed.): Biographical lexicon of the outstanding doctors of the last fifty years ; Urban, Berlin / Vienna 1932.
↑ "A altberlinischer cemetery" in "The Present" - ff Berlin weekly for Jewish Affairs, born 1867, pp 109 and 141 et seq.. [2]
^ Alfred Etzold et al .: The Jewish cemeteries in Berlin ; Henschel, Berlin 1991; P. 71

personal data
SURNAME	Beer, Julius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Beer, Judas Meyer
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German doctor and local researcher
DATE OF BIRTH	August 18, 1822
PLACE OF BIRTH	Berlin
DATE OF DEATH	November 18, 1874
Place of death	Berlin

[1] Letter from Julius Beer to Meyerbeer, in: Sabine Henze (ed.), Hans Moeller: Correspondence and diaries - Giacomo Meyerbeer ; de Gruyter, Berlin 1999, p. 208 [1]

[2] Justus Goldmann: History of medical emergency care - emergency care in. Berlin ; Diss., Bielefeld 2000; P. 106 pdf

[mende-3] A ^b Martin Mende: Julius Beer and the founding of the Association for the History of Berlin in 1865 ; in "Mitteilungen des Verein für die Geschichte Berlins", issue 3/2006, p. 382f.

[4] Isidor Fischer (ed.): Biographical lexicon of the outstanding doctors of the last fifty years ; Urban, Berlin / Vienna 1932.

[5] "A altberlinischer cemetery" in "The Present" - ff Berlin weekly for Jewish Affairs, born 1867, pp 109 and 141 et seq.. [2]

[6] Alfred Etzold et al .: The Jewish cemeteries in Berlin ; Henschel, Berlin 1991; P. 71