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Culture of remembrance in medicine: A discussion about responsibility and values
The MHH and DGVS will discuss Jewish doctors under National Socialism and the culture of remembrance in Hanover on June 11, 2025.
Culture of remembrance in medicine: A discussion about responsibility and values
On June 11, 2025, the Hannover Medical School (MHH) and the German Society for Gastroenterology, Digestive and Metabolic Diseases (DGVS) invite you to an important event. Under the title “Against Forgetting,” the focus will be on the memory of the persecuted Jewish doctors during National Socialism. The event will take place from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in lecture hall H of building J1 on Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1 in Hanover. MHH reports that…
The event aims to sensitize the young generation to issues such as exclusion and discrimination and to strengthen democratic values and an open scientific culture. A panel discussion with the same experts as Prof. Dr. will provide historical background to these topics. Thomas Beddies from the Charité – University Medicine Berlin and Prof. Dr. Sabine Salloch and Prof. Dr. Andreas Neubauer offer. Lectures will include Dr. Harro Jenss, the DGVS archivist, and Dr. Friederike Klein held by the MHH. Central Council of Jews emphasizes that...
Persecution of the Jewish medical profession
The history of the Jewish medical profession under National Socialism is marked by massive repression. The DGVS already had 520 members in 1932, but within two years 120 Jewish members were excluded. This happened in parallel with far-reaching anti-Jewish legislation that revoked Jewish doctors' licenses and excluded them from clinics and universities. It is estimated that around 25 percent of Germany's 8,000 Jewish doctors were murdered during the Holocaust. Central Council of Jews reports from...
An exemplary fate is that of Dr. Rudolf Fromm, a pediatrician from near Saarbrücken. His house was vandalized on the night of November 10, 1938 by SA and SS men and neighbors. Dr. Fromm was deported to Dachau, but after his release in January 1939 he came to the USA, where he opened a new practice and ultimately died in 1946. From the time of persecution it can stand as a symbol of the fate of many Jewish doctors who suffered great suffering due to discrimination and persecution. Central Council of Jews addresses...
Commemoration and current developments
The application of commemorative culture remains crucial to adequately convey the lessons of the past. Coming to terms with the Nazi era is increasingly being pushed forward by medical societies. Recently, the North Rhine Medical Association initiated a series of lectures dedicated to Jewish doctors during the Nazi era. The German Society for Pediatrics has also addressed the role of its members during the persecution and acknowledged guilt. Central Council of Jews states that...
The social dimension of this memory is enormous. Anti-Semitism remains a relevant problem in today's society and the number of anti-Semitic crimes is increasing. The Central Council of Jews is therefore calling for measures at the federal level to counteract this trend and to promote a comprehensive discussion of anti-Semitism in society. With their event, the MHH and the DGVS contribute to raising awareness and are actively involved in creating a culture of remembrance, which is also required in a changing social landscape.