Wolfgang Wirth (doctor, 1898)

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Wolfgang Wirth during internment after the end of the war

Maximilian Wilhelm Wolfgang Fuller Wirth (born November 2, 1898 in Newport , Great Britain , † June 12, 1996 in Wuppertal ) was a German chemist, toxicologist , pharmacologist and senior physician. He was an expert on toxic gases .

Live and act

Wolfgang Wirth was a son of the chemist Hans Wirth and his wife Elisabeth, b. Gaunt. Wirth studied at the University of Würzburg and received his doctorate in chemistry in 1924. In September of the same year he became a research assistant to Ludwig Werner Haase at the Biological Reichsanstalt in Berlin-Dahlem , and in 1927 assistant to Ferdinand Flury , the developer of Zyklon B , who, like Wirth, was involved in poison gas research for the Reichswehr , at the Pharmacological Institute of the University of Würzburg. In 1930 he received his doctorate in medicine from the University of Würzburg. He completed his habilitation there in 1935 under Flury with the work Experimental Studies on the Treatment of Poisoning by Inhalation of Hydrocyanic Acid and became a lecturer in the same year. In 1936 he became a government advisor and consultant (later group leader) at the Army Weapons Office , on whose behalf he had already been active since September 1924, and in February 1938 senior staff doctor, and he also received a lectureship in toxicology at the University of Berlin . In 1940 he was appointed associate professor and senior medical officer. In 1942 he rose to the rank of senior physician .

From the beginning of 1938 to mid-1943 he was head of the pharmacological-toxicological department of the Military Medical Academy , which emerged from the gas therapy department and which was converted into an independent institute for defense against warfare agents (military toxicology) at the start of the war in 1939, and where Wirth was after the death of Paul Schürmann in July 1941 to August 1943 whose office had taken over as commander of teaching group C. Wolfgang Wirth, as group leader of group VII (toxicology of warfare agents and special questions) of the gas protection department (with responsibility for the army test site robbery chamber as well as for the laboratory VII in the Spandau citadel, where the Wirth family also lived) was also responsible for poison gas tests with tabun and sarin . In December 1941, Wirth received the War Merit Cross with Swords, First Class. While serving in the Army Ordnance main office, he protected the by the People's Court sentenced to death actor in the resistance group European Union , Robert Havemann , by a delay initiated by him before the enforcement. Wirth stipulated that Havemann should be used for research that was important for the war effort.

Wolfgang Wirth in the 1970s

He was several times until 1933 in the Russian trial court Tomka in poison gas experiments with Lost ( "mustard gas") present, where the warfare Blue Cross (Clark) and Green Cross (Perstoff) and a "Pfiffikusgemisch" (Clark with or without mustards were made) tests . Wirth denied knowledge of human experiments with mustard gas in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in autumn 1939 during his denazification process. During his visit to Sachsenhausen, he inspected test persons with caustic wounds, but did not take part in carrying out the experiments. Elsewhere, the files support Wirth's statements that human experiments by the institute he heads only carried out on its own employees and on members of the military medical academy, the student companies and the army gas protection schools. These tests on members of the army took place on a voluntary basis.

From April 16, 1945, Wirth was in an American internment camp. During an interrogation on February 12, 1947, he was untruthful when he said that he had not spoken to anyone about attempts to lose people.

From 1948 he worked in the pharmacological department of the Bayer paint factory in Elberfeld (and from 1954 he was a department head at Bayer). In 1949 he became an associate professor at the Medical Academy in Düsseldorf . In 1973 he received the Paul Martini Gold Medal from the German pharmaceutical industry . In 1975 he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit - because he is said to have prevented the gas war . In addition to his scientific achievements, he was also honored for his support of politically persecuted scientists. In addition, Wirth was recognized for preventing the possible use of poison gas at the end of the Second World War, which he and Ferdinand Flury had previously warned against. Wirth was an honorary member of numerous pharmacological and toxicological societies, such as the German Pharmacological Society and the working group for neuropsychopharmacology and pharmacopsychiatry,

In 1989 the book Der Wert des Menschen - Medicine in Germany 1918 to 1945 , published by the Berlin Medical Association in cooperation with the German Medical Association, was published. According to Klaus Wirth, Wolfgang Wirth's son, this book contained incorrect claims about Wolfgang Wirth. Klaus Wirth therefore obtained a punishable cease and desist declaration from the publisher and the delivery of the book was blocked.

family

Wirth's grave in the cemetery in Sommerhausen

In 1925 Wolfgang Wirth married Liselotte Merz, the second child of the couple Curt Bernhard Merz and Olga Lotte Merz, née. Reinhold. On June 15, 1926, their daughter Lottelise was born in Berlin-Lichterfelde , and their son Klaus followed later. From around 1930 the family lived in Würzburg on Sanderglacisstrasse, and in 1936 they moved to the citadel in Berlin-Spandau . Liselotte Wirth moved back to Würzburg with her son Klaus in 1944 in the hope of avoiding the air raids there. Her daughter was already out of the house at that time and was doing labor or military service. After the bombing of Würzburg on March 16, 1945 , Liselotte Wirth and her children found shelter in the palace in Sommerhausen. Since Wolfgang Wirth did not live with the family during this time, they were looked after by auxiliary services. Lottelise Wirth studied medicine, her brother Klaus became a pharmacologist. Lottelise Wirth was married to Wolfgang Norpoth in her first marriage, in her second marriage, from 1962, she was married to Fadhil Rashid, head of the Arab Bank, whom she had met in Bad Mergentheim . The couple lived in Jedda in Saudi Arabia until 1964 , then in Kuwait until 1970 , where Lottelise Wirth-Rashid ran a practice and worked as an accompanying doctor for flights in the Arab region. In 1970 Rashid's mandate at Arab Bank ended and he and his wife moved to Sommerhausen, where she took over a doctor's office.

Fonts (selection)

  • For the resolution of racemic mixtures using molecular compounds with optically active substances. [1924] (PhD thesis, University of Würzburg, 1924).
  • Investigation of the irritation threshold values ​​of odorous substances in insects. In: Biological Zentralblatt. Vol. 48 (1928), No. 9, pp. 567-576.
  • Contribution to the effect of gas mixtures (nitrous gases-carbon oxide). In: Archives of Experimental Pathology and Pharmacology . Vol. 157 (1930), H. 1, p. 108 f., U. H. 6, pp. 264-285 (medical dissertation, University of Würzburg, 1930).
  • Experimental studies on the treatment of poisoning by inhalation of hydrogen cyanide. In: Archives of Experimental Pathology and Pharmacology. Vol. 179 (1935), H. 4/5, pp. 558-602 (habilitation thesis, University of Würzburg, 1935).
  • On the question of the detoxification of hydrogen cyanide . In: Biochemical Journal. Vol. 4 (1934), No. 6, pp. 455-459.
  • For the treatment of hydrocyanic acid poisoning when inhaled. In: Central Gazette for Tissue Hygiene and Accident Prevention (special edition), Vol. 14 (1937), No. 11.
  • Warfare agent injuries (with special consideration of previous experience), In: 1st war conference of advisory specialists on January 3 and 4, 1940 in the Military Medical Academy Berlin , 1940, pp. 50–66.
  • Feinsabotagen durch Gifte, In: Report on the 4th workshop of the consulting specialists from May 16 to 18, 1944 in the Hohenlychen military hospital , pp. 49–51.
  • Toxikologie , In: Naturforschung und Medizin in Deutschland 1939-1946 (special print), Vol. 63 (1948), pp. 145-254.
  • "Neuroplegia", "potentiated anesthesia" and "controlled hypothermia" (on pharmacology), In: Langenbecks Archive and German Journal for Surgery (special print), Vol. 279 (1954), pp. 732-743.
  • On the mode of action of psychotropic substances, In: Current topics in internal medicine and its border areas. Lectures from the 6th Bavarian Internists' Congress in Nuremberg (special print), 1959, pp. 161–171.
  • General overview of neuroleptics, In: Monthly courses for medical training (special edition), Vol. 8 (1959), pp. 382–386.
  • Hypnotics, narcotics, psychotropic drugs in terms of traffic medicine, In: The current status of therapy for diabetes mellitus and its complications. New and proven old forms of therapy for bronchial asthma. Endangerment of road safety through diseases and drugs, Vol. 3, 1964, pp. 239-258.
  • The pain and its fight, In: Pharmazeutische Zeitung. Associated with Apotheker-Zeitung. Central organ for the German pharmacy stand, Vol. 5, 1965, pp. 163–170.
  • The drug development in the next 20 years , In: Health in tomorrow's world. Brochure of the Federal Committee on World Health Day 1968 (special print), 1968.
  • Paul Martini and Clinical Pharmacology. Lecture on the occasion of the inauguration of the "Paul Martini Foundation" on April 3, 1967 in Wiesbaden , In: Research. Practice. Fortbildung.Organ für die entire practical and theoretical medicine, Vol. 9, 1967, pp. 245-247.
  • Toxicology Primer for Doctors. Pharmacist. Natural scientist. Lawyers and students, 2nd revised. and additional ed., 1971.
  • Together with Friedrich Bär , Wolfgang Bruns , Hans-Jürgen Hapke, Dietrich Henschler , Otto Rudolf Klimmer, Herbert Remmer : Memorandum of Toxicology , German Research Foundation, Harold Boldt Verlag KG, Boppard, 1975

literature

  • Ernst Klee : German Medicine in the Third Reich. Careers before and after 1945. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2001, ISBN 3-10-039310-4 , pp. 299-303.
  • Wirth, Wolfgang. In: Ernst Klee: The personal dictionary for the Third Reich. Who was what before and after 1945. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2003, p. 681.
  • Florian Schmalz: Research on warfare agents under National Socialism. For cooperation between the Kaiser Wilhelm Societies, the military and industry. Wallstein, Göttingen 2005, ISBN 3-89244-880-9 ( online ).
  • Alexander Neumann: "Doctors are always fighters". The Army Medical Inspection and the office of “Chief of the Wehrmacht Medical Services” in World War II (1939–1945). Droste, Düsseldorf 2005, ISBN 3-7700-1618-1 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Death certificate No. 2222/1996. The registrar of the registry office of the city of Wuppertal, June 14, 1996.
  2. ^ A b Hermann August Ludwig Degener: Who is who? . Schmidt Rönhild, 1971, p. 1215 ( limited preview in the Google book search)
  3. ^ Ernst Klee: German Medicine in the Third Reich. Careers before and after 1945. 2001, p. 299.
  4. ^ Ernst Klee: German Medicine in the Third Reich. Careers before and after 1945. 2001, p. 301.
  5. ^ Ernst Klee: German Medicine in the Third Reich. Careers before and after 1945. 2001, p. 301.
  6. ↑ Alexander Neumann: "Doctors are always fighters". The Army Medical Inspection and the “Chief of the Wehrmacht Medical Service” in World War II (1939-1945) . Droste, Düsseldorf 2005, ISBN 3-7700-1618-1 , p. 278 .
  7. ^ Robert Havemann: A German Communist. Review and perspectives from isolation . Rowohlt Verlag GmbH, Reinbek 1978, ISBN 3-498-02846-4 , p. 56-59 .
  8. ^ Robert Havemann: Questions, Answers, Questions. From the biography of a German Marxist . R. Piper & Co. Verlag, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-492-11324-9 , pp. 83 .
  9. ^ Ernst Klee: German Medicine in the Third Reich. Careers before and after 1945. 2001, p. 299 f.
  10. ↑ Alexander Neumann: "Doctors are always fighters". The Army Medical Inspection and the “Chief of the Wehrmacht Medical Service” in World War II (1939-1945) . Droste, Düsseldorf 2005, ISBN 3-7700-1618-1 , p. 276 .
  11. ^ Ernst Klee: German Medicine in the Third Reich. Careers before and after 1945. 2001, p. 299 f.
  12. ↑ Alexander Neumann: "Doctors are always fighters". The Army Medical Inspection and the “Chief of the Wehrmacht Medical Service” in World War II (1939-1945) . Droste, Düsseldorf 2005, ISBN 3-7700-1618-1 , p. 362 .
  13. ↑ Alexander Neumann: "Doctors are always fighters". The Army Medical Inspection and the “Chief of the Wehrmacht Medical Service” in World War II (1939-1945) . Droste, Düsseldorf 2005, ISBN 3-7700-1618-1 , p. 298 .
  14. ^ Ernst Klee: German Medicine in the Third Reich. Careers before and after 1945. 2001, p. 301 f.
  15. ^ Ernst Klee: German Medicine in the Third Reich. Careers before and after 1945. 2001, p. 302.
  16. ^ Ernst Klee: German Medicine in the Third Reich. Careers before and after 1945. 2001, p. 303.
  17. ↑ Dietrich Henschler : For the development of pharmacology and toxicology. In: Peter Baumgart (Ed.): Four hundred years of the University of Würzburg. A commemorative publication. Degener & Co. (Gerhard Gessner), Neustadt an der Aisch 1982 (= sources and contributions to the history of the University of Würzburg. Volume 6), ISBN 3-7686-9062-8 , pp. 1030-1047; here: p. 1041.
  18. ↑ Proposal list No. 1582 for the award of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. For the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Minister for Food, Agriculture and Forests, Deneke, Düsseldorf, August 1, 1975, in BA Koblenz, B 122, No. 38657 .
  19. ↑ Correction , in: Deutsches Ärzteblatt 97, Issue 6, February 11, 2000 ( digitized version )
  20. ↑ Enrico Weller, The Villa Merz and its unraveled building history ( digitized version )
  21. ↑ Karl Beyer, Dr. Lottelise Wirth-Rashid. The twenty-third doctor in Sommerhausen. Specialist in internal medicine, established as a general practitioner in Sommerhausen since July 1, 1970 , in: Karl Beyer, Die Ärzte in Sommerhausen. On the development of the medical field in the country using the example of a winegrowing community in the Maintal , Ochsenfurt 1988, pp. 181-185
personal data
SURNAME Wirth, Wolfgang
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Wirth, Maximilian Wilhelm Wolfgang Fuller (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German toxicologist
DATE OF BIRTH November 2, 1898
PLACE OF BIRTH Newport (Gwent) , England
DATE OF DEATH June 12, 1996
Place of death Wuppertal