Rudolf Geigy

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Rudolf Geigy

Johann Rudolf Geigy (born December 20, 1902 in Basel ; † March 8, 1995 in Riehen ) was a Swiss zoologist and founder of the Swiss Tropical Institute .

Life

Rudolf Geigy was born as the youngest of three children of the factory owner Johann Rudolf Geigy (1862–1943) and Helene, née Schlumberger. His sisters were Louise and Elisabeth Geigy. Rudolf Geigy first studied zoology in Basel , later in Geneva , where he received his doctorate in 1930. In 1938 he became associate professor for experimental embryology and genetics at the University of Basel. Geigy founded the Swiss Tropical Institute in 1943. For decades, until 1972, he remained its head. In 1953 he became a full professor for zoology, and in 1965 for medical zoology. In 1962 he became rector of the University of Basel.

Geigy is considered a pioneer in developmental physiology and founded experimental zoology at his university. He made several research trips to Africa. He traveled to Ifakara in Tanzania for the first time in 1949 at the invitation of Capuchin Edgar Aristide Maranta (1897–1975). He returned several times and finally founded the Swiss Tropical Institute Field Laboratory (STIFL) there in 1957 , which is dedicated to research into tropical diseases such as malaria , sleeping sickness and river blindness . A research institute was later founded in Ivory Coast .

The Medical Faculty of the University of Zurich honored him with an honorary doctorate in 1973 . Geigy founded the Rudolf Geigy Foundation named after him in 1969 (today the R. Geigy Foundation), which has the task of supporting the Swiss Tropical Institute in research and teaching projects. The foundation has awarded the R. Geigy Prize every two years since 2000.

Rudolf Geigy was married three times. After the death of his second wife, with whom he had three daughters and a son, in 1972, he married Charlotte Hunziker (1923–1995). Due to health problems, both committed suicide on March 8, 1995 with the help of the euthanasia organization Exit , which led to a public discussion in Switzerland.

Fonts

  • Rudolf Geigy, Adelheid Herbig: Pathogens and carriers of tropical diseases. Publishing house for law and society, Basel 1955.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Genealogy of the Vorster family in Basel , accessed on December 28, 2011.
  2. ↑ Jürg Bürgi: Ifakara - a place of power for sustainable development , 2005, pp. 1–2.
  3. ^ Thierry A. Freyvogel: Rudolf Geigy. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland . November 23, 2006 , accessed June 16, 2019 .
  4. ^ Website of the R. Geigy Foundation , accessed on July 11, 2019.
  5. ^ Online archive catalog of the Basel-Stadt State Archives , PA 1095 Rudolf Geigy (1902-1995), 1946 (approx.) - 2003 (inventory).
personal data
SURNAME Geigy, Rudolf
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Geigy, Johann Rudolf (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss zoologist
DATE OF BIRTH December 20, 1902
PLACE OF BIRTH Basel
DATE OF DEATH March 8, 1995
Place of death Riehen