Richard Hessberg

Richard Hessberg (born December 27, 1879 in Essen , † March 27, 1960 in Essen) was a German ophthalmologist of Jewish origin.

Life

Richard Hessberg was the son of an ophthalmologist in Essen. After attending school in Essen and Höxter (Abitur) and studying medicine, he received his doctorate in Munich in 1904. Back in Essen, he took over his father's practice and was also a miners' surgeon. In 1913 he was appointed as head physician of the eye clinic of the municipal hospitals in Essen, "because it seemed desirable for the occupancy of the clinic that he could still keep his medical practice".

He married the non-Jewish Grete Koenecke from Düsseldorf and had three children with her. During this time he converted to Protestantism. The marriage ended in divorce in 1934.

In addition to his practice and his work as head physician, he published numerous scientific papers, campaigned successfully for the institutionalization of medical training and held an important position at the meetings of the ophthalmological department of the "Society for Science and Life in the Rhenish-Westphalian Industrial District" he acted as rapporteur several times. Among other things, a commemorative publication was dedicated to him at the 48th German Medical Congress in Essen in 1929.

Political and literary activities were added to professional engagement. He was a member of the German People's Party during the Weimar Republic. He was a member of the board of directors of the Folkwang Art Association and managing director of the “Society for Literature and Theater” in Essen. In addition, Dr. Hessberg to the Society for Bibliophilia, to whom he donated a letter from Karl Immermann to Heinrich Heine in 1925 . In 1920 Thomas Mann lived with him.

In 1929 the family of five moved into a villa in Essen-Bredeney, which was built according to the plans of the well-known architect Alfred Fischer , a representative of New Building ( New Objectivity , Bauhaus ), with which the Hessberg family had long been known.

At the end of 1933 he had to stop working at the Essen Eye Clinic. His previous income of around 2,200 marks per month fell to around 515 marks. In October 1938 his license to practice medicine was revoked and in the wake of the pogrom night he was imprisoned for five weeks until mid-December.

While the children from the "privileged mixed marriage" stayed in Germany, Richard Hessberg fled to Bonstetten in Switzerland after selling his property in May 1939 , from where he wanted to emigrate to Central America. He finally emigrated to Cuba via Spain. In the absence of job opportunities there, he went to the United States in 1944, worked as an ophthalmologist in New York and obtained American citizenship.

In 1948 he officially married Erika Nockher from Cologne in New York, a non-Jew who had worked in the house as an educator and head of the household from 1935 to 1939. The marriage was recognized by the city of Hamburg retrospectively after the war since 1935, because the two had got engaged in 1935 but were not allowed to marry because of the Nazi race laws.

Richard Hessberg returned to Germany by 1950 at the latest, where he had been at least since 1948. In October 1952 he returned to Essen in retirement, but continued his scientific work and was in charge of the municipal "visual protection school" he had founded. He died in his hometown of Essen in 1960.

Publications

• About carcinoma of the vermiform process. <With e. Plate>. Munich: C. Wolf & Sohn, 1904. (31 p.) 8 ". Munich, Med. Fac., Ref. V. Bollinger, diss. Of 10 Nov. 1904
• Annual report of the eye clinic of the city hospitals in Essen-Ruhr (Albert and Franka-Hirschland-Stiftung) for the years 1913-1919. Dresden-Blasewitz: Kaemmerer u. Bleyl. In: Wochenschrift fürherapie u. Hygiene d. Eye; No. 23, 1918/19
• Report on the 18th meeting of the ophthalmological department of the Society for Science and Life in the Rhenish-Westphalian industrial district on Saturday, January 11, 1930, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, in the eye clinic of the city hospitals in Essen, made by R. Hessberg. Special dep. From: Zeitschrift für Augenheilkunde; 71 (1930), pp. 260-271, Berlin, Verlag Karger
• Report on the 21st meeting of the ophthalmological department of the Society for Science and Life in the Rhenish-Westphalian industrial district on Saturday, October 24, 1930, at 4 a.m., in the eye clinic of the city hospitals in Essen, made by R. Hessberg. Special dep. From: Zeitschrift für Augenheilkunde; 77 (1932), pp. 274-284, Berlin, Verlag Karger
• [Report on the 22nd] meeting of the ophthalmological department of the Society for Science and Life in the Rhenish-Westphalian industrial district on Saturday, March 5th, 1932. 4 a.m., in the eye clinic of the municipal hospitals in Essen, reimbursed by R. Hessberg. Special dep. From: Zeitschrift für Augenheilkunde; 78 (1932), pp. 375-382, Berlin, Verlag Karger
• Is care for the blind necessary? For the 10th anniversary of the Essener Blindenfürsorge eV In: Essener Volkszeitung, October 23, 1927. HEG: DZA 915.8

literature

• Karl Immermann: An unknown letter from Immermann dated March 5, 1825; Immermann, [Karl]; Immermann to Heine. [Faks.] (Ed .: Erich Schulz. Participation in the annual verse of the Society of Bibliophiles donated by Richard Hessberg and Ernst v. Waldthausen). (Leipzig), (1926). 4 sheets 4 ".
• Festschrift Richard Hessberg. 48th German Medical Congress, Essen June 27-29, 1929. [The equipment ... was provided by Max Burchartz ... Ed. Richard Hessberg; Walther Dabitz]. Essen, Kavermann [Association d. Doctors fd city u. District of Essen], 1929, 138 p.: Ill.; 8-o
• Artur Schopenhauer: On writing and style, reading and books [Ausz.]; (Dedicated to the participants in the annual dinner of the Essen Bibliophile Evening and Friends v. R [ichard] H [eßberg]). (Essen), (1930), 6 p. 8 ". ([Essen Bibliophile Evening. Gaben; 1930,4]) Annotation: From: Schopenhauer, Parerga and Paralipomena
• Martin Bach (City of Essen: Institute for Monument Protection and Preservation): The villa of the Dr. Hessberg in Essen-Bredeney, Stocksiepen 10/12. 2012

Web links

• American network