Paracelsus Society

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Paracelsus Society was first founded in 1941 during the Nazi era in Salzburg and was re-established in 1951 as the International Paracelsus Society (IPG) . The task of the IPG was "to deepen and disseminate knowledge of the personality and work of Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, known as Paracelsus, and to promote the further development of the natural sciences and humanities in his interest."

Salzburg and Paracelsus

Since the doctor and natural scientist Paracelsus (1493–1541) stayed in Salzburg several times (1524, 1541), this is also where he died and he found his final resting place in the Sebastian cemetery, this Renaissance doctor was often referred to by local historians from Salzburg historians treated and also taken for advertising purposes. The tradition had developed here for a long time to commemorate him on the anniversary of his birth and death. This relationship with Paracelsus is maintained to this day, the Medical University in Salzburg became known after him and the International Paracelsus Platform of the University of Hohenheim is also supported by the Salzburg City Archives .

Kaigasse 8 (house where Paracelsus died)

First founding of the Paracelsus Society

On September 24, 1941, the "Paracelsus Society" was founded in Salzburg for the first time. The first president was the Reich Health Leader Leonardo Conti , Richard Dingeldey from the Central Office for Public Health of the NSDAP and the Salzburg Mayor Franz Lorenz became vice-presidents . In Salzburg, as part of the celebrations taking place for the 400th anniversary of Paracelsus' death in 1941, a first Paracelsus exhibition was shown, which was to become the basis of a "Paracelsus Museum", which in turn was to have the task of putting together a Paracelsus library and a Paracelsus Research Institute. The city of Salzburg had made rooms available in the house where Paracelsus died (Kaigasse 8) and was prepared to cover the costs of the museum. The exhibits acquired from the Carolino Augusteum Municipal Museum were intended to be the first cornerstone for the museum. The dioramas produced for the exhibition were acquired by the Paracelsus Society and made publicly available.

The Paracelsus Society remained quite active during the war and celebrated z. B. 1942 the Paracelsus film produced by Bavaria Film or 1943 with the local NSDAP greats the birthday of Paracelsus. Cesar Bresgen composed a Paracelsus opera in 5 acts in 1943. Josef Thorak created a monumental Paracelsus statue on behalf of the Paracelsus Society in 1943, which is now in front of the Mirabell Gardens in Salzburg.

Paracelsus figure in the Mirabell Gardens by Josef Thorak

Due to the end of the Second World War, this institution dissolved again.

International Paracelsus Society (IPG)

But it did not take long after the end of the Second World War and people in Salzburg remembered Paracelsus again. On August 5, 1947, a consecration hour took place in St. Sebastian's Church , during which the primary physician Josef Sandhofer paid tribute to the services of the “famous doctor”. Vice-Mayor Richard Hildmann also followed up the Paracelsus tradition at the opening of the first Austrian Doctors' Conference in 1947 by reminding of "the great doctor" Paracelsus. This renaissance doctor was therefore still suitable as a projection surface and figure of identification despite the attempted appropriation by the National Socialists only a few years ago.

So in the summer of 1951 the “International Paracelsus Society (IPG)” was founded in Salzburg. On October 20 and 21, 1951, the Society organized the “First Paracelsus Day”. Cathedral Kapellmeister Joseph Messner had already composed a “Paracelsus fanfare” in 1941 for such occasions. As part of the “First Paracelsus Day”, which was also designed by the Salzburg Museum Carolino Augusteum, a copper box with the remains of Paracelsus, which were kept by the museum, was sent to the “International Paracelsus Society” to be returned to the tomb in St. Sebastian's Church.

Founding members included Rigobert Funke-Elbstadt , Josef Sandhofer, Heinrich Kiener and Leopold Müller. Among the (founding) members were not a few who were involved in National Socialism, such as the former SS-Hauptsturmführer Eduard Paul Tratz , who later headed the Salzburg Natural History Museum for many years, or the psychiatrist Gerhart Harrer , former NSDAP member and hereditary biologist; the second president of the IPG, Burghard Breitner , was a member of the NSDAP and later a VdU candidate in the federal presidential election in 1951. Carl Joseph Gauß , a doctor known for his involvement in the racial legislation of the Nazis , became honorary president of the Paracelsus Society.

The Salzburg contributions to Paracelsus research founded by Sepp Domandl have been published since 1960 . The International Paracelsus Society organized annual congresses at which the results of Paracelsus research were made known.

President of the International Paracelsus Society

The first president of the society was the science historian Franz Strunz , who had made a name for himself as a Paracelsus researcher. Strunz died in the second year of his term in office († 1953).

Other presidents:

  • Franz Strunz (1951–1952)
  • Burghard Breitner (1952–1956)
  • Otto Zekert (1956–1958)
  • Kurt Goldammer (1968–1994)
  • Gerhart Harrer (1994–1998)
  • Walter Pöldinger (1998-2002)
  • Heinz Dopsch (2003–?)
  • Peter F. Kramml, Vice President of the IPG (1994–2015)

The International Paracelsus Society Salzburg (IPG) dissolved in 2015.

literature

  • The Great Paracelsus Exhibition in the auditorium of the old Salzburg study building. Salzburger Volksblatt, September 11, 1941, pp. 3–4.
  • Peter F. Krammel: Between reception, cult, marketing and appropriation - the Paracelsus tradition in the city of Salzburg. In Heinz Dopsch, Peter F. Kramml (eds.), Paracelsus and Salzburg. Lectures at the international congresses in Salzburg and Badgastein on the occasion of the Paracelsus year 1993. Communications of the Society for Salzburg Regional Studies , Vol. 14 (supplementary volume), 279–346.
  • Peter F. Krammel: Realized and unrealized Salzburg Paracelsus projects during the Third Reich: University, hospital and memorial - exhibition, celebration and society - a "Paracelsus" game as a substitute for "everyone"? In Paracelsus and the Empire. 55th Paracelsus Day 2006 (= Salzburg contributions to Paracelsus research , vol. 40), Salzburg 2007, pp. 57–90.
  • Adolf Haslinger & Peter Mittermayer (eds.): Paracelsus Society. In Salzburger Kulturlexikon. Residenz Verlag, Salzburg, 2001, p. 387. ISBN 3-7017-1129-1 .

Web links

Commons : Paracelsus  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Statutes of the IPG. In Festschrift 16. Paracelsus Day on the 425th anniversary of Paracelsus death. Salzburg 1966.
  2. ↑ Karl Aberle: Grave monument, skull and images of Theophrastus Paracelsus. Communications from the Society for Regional Studies in Salzburg , 1891 ; Paul Weiner: The tincture of life of Theophrastus Paracelsus. Supplement to the Neuen Salzburger Zeitung of July 22, 1855, No. 4, pp. 1–3. ; Friederike Prodinger : Paracelsus in the mirror of folklore. Lecture on January 8, 1942, announcements from the Society for Salzburg Regional Studies , Society Affairs 1942; Announcements of the society for Salzburg regional studies , supplement main part 1942: Paracelsus and Salzburg (1936).
  3. ^ Theophrastus Paracelsus - Ein Gedenkblatt , 1893.
  4. ↑ International Paracelsus platform
  5. ^ The founding of the Paracelsus Society. Salzburger Volksblatt of September 25, 1941, p. 4.
  6. ^ Paracelsus celebration in Salzburg . In: Völkischer Beobachter . September 25, 1941, p. 2 ( digitized version at the Austrian National Library ).
  7. ^ Peter Danner: The museum landscape of the Gau capital Salzburg. In connection, War & debris. Salzburg and its museum under National Socialism. Salzburg Museum, Salzburg 2018 (= annual publication of the Salzburg Museum, vol. 60), p. 102.
  8. ^ Paracelsus - Opera in six pictures
  9. ^ A Paracelsus monument. The work of the Paracelsus Society. Salzburger Zeitung of June 24, 1943, p. 4.
  10. ↑ Consecration hour for Theophrastus Paracelsus. Wiener Kurier dated August 6, 1947.
  11. ^ Opening of the Austrian Medical Conference . Salzburger Tagblatt dated September 5, 1947 .
  12. ^ Rigobert Funke-Elbstadt: Ten years of reconstruction. Salzburg Museum Carolino Augusteum, annual journal, 1955, Vol. 1, p. 16.
  13. ↑ International Paracelsus platform