The ''Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft e.V.'' (DDG, German Dermatological Society; "''e.V.''" meaning "registered association") is a scientific specialized society for

dermatology Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist is a specialist medical ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It is a member of the Association of Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF). The aim is the promotion of scientific and professional concerns of dermatology,

venereology Venereology is a branch of medicine that is concerned with the study and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The name derives from Roman goddess Venus, associated with love, beauty and fertility. A physician specializing in vener ...

and

allergology Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic derma ...

and the support of specialization areas in dermatology,

andrology Andrology (from grc, ἀνήρ, ''anēr'', genitive , ''andros'', "man"; and , ''-logia'') is a name for the medical specialty that deals with male health, particularly relating to the problems of the male reproductive system and urological probl ...

phlebology Phlebology is a medical speciality that is concerned with venous issues including the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the veins. A medical specialist in this field is known as a phlebologist. The specialty of phlebology has developed to en ...

, and

lymphology The lymphatic system, or lymphoid system, is an organ system in vertebrates that is part of the immune system, and complementary to the circulatory system. It consists of a large network of lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, lymphatic or lymphoid ...

proctology Colorectal surgery is a field in medicine dealing with disorders of the rectum, anus, and colon. The field is also known as proctology, but this term is now used infrequently within medicine and is most often employed to identify practices rela ...

, operative dermatology and dermatooncology, dermatological

radiotherapy Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Radia ...

, dermatological

microbiology Microbiology () is the scientific study of microorganisms, those being unicellular (single cell), multicellular (cell colony), or acellular (lacking cells). Microbiology encompasses numerous sub-disciplines including virology, bacteriology, prot ...

, occupational and environmental dermatology, and derma

histology Histology, also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy, is the branch of biology which studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues. Histology is the microscopic counterpart to gross anatomy, which looks at larger structures vis ...

, as well as

prevention Prevention may refer to: Health and medicine * Preventive healthcare, measures to prevent diseases or injuries rather than curing them or treating their symptoms General safety * Crime prevention, the attempt to reduce deter crime and crimi ...

and

rehabilitation Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to: Health * Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished * Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...

. The DDG also operates as advisor for German and international governments and authorities, public and non-public organizations, medical and

scientific societies A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership may ...

, institutions, clinics, and individuals in scientific and professional quests. It was founded in 1889 in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

and comprises almost 3,600 full and associated members. The society is based in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

, where they operate a joint office with the ''BVDD, Berufsverband der Deutschen Dermatologen'' (Professional Association of Germany's dermatologists). In 1998 these two organizations founded the ''DDA, Deutsche Dermatologische Akademie'' (German dermatological academy), which is committed to the continued and advanced education of dermatologists.

Working groups

The DDG employs several different working groups which are dedicated to the science of specific topics and publish recommendations and guidelines. Among these working groups are: * Dermatological Angiology * Occupational and Environmental Dermatology * Aesthetical Dermatology and Cosmetology * Photodermatology * Dermatological Oncology * Pediatric Dermatology * Dermatological Prevention * Health Economy and Evidence-based Medicine of the DDG * Dermatological Research * Dermatological Histology *

Wound healing Wound healing refers to a living organism's replacement of destroyed or damaged tissue by newly produced tissue. In undamaged skin, the epidermis (surface, epithelial layer) and dermis (deeper, connective layer) form a protective barrier again ...

* Dermatological Infectiology and Dermatology of the Tropics *

History of Dermatology Readily visible alterations of the skin surface have been recognized since the dawn of history, with some being treated, and some not. One of the earliest known sources documenting skin ailments is the Ebers Papyrus, a medical document from ancien ...

and Venereology * Rehabilitation in Dermatology * Working group

Pruritus Itch (also known as pruritus) is a sensation that causes the desire or reflex to scratch. Itch has resisted many attempts to be classified as any one type of sensory experience. Itch has many similarities to pain, and while both are unpleasant ...

Research *

Andrology Andrology (from grc, ἀνήρ, ''anēr'', genitive , ''andros'', "man"; and , ''-logia'') is a name for the medical specialty that deals with male health, particularly relating to the problems of the male reproductive system and urological probl ...

* Dermatological Diagnosis index (''extensions of

ICD-10 ICD-10 is the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD), a medical classification list by the World Health Organization (WHO). It contains codes for diseases, signs and symptoms, ...

for Dermatology)'' *

Psychosomatic A somatic symptom disorder, formerly known as a somatoform disorder,(2013) Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

(ÖGDV) and Switzerland (SGDV). It is also a member of the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS), the international umbrella organization of all scientific professional societies in the field of dermatology. The DDG also is represented in the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV), the European Dermatology Forum (EDF), the European Society Dermatological Research (ESDR), and the Union of European Union Medical Specialists (UEMS).

Publications and work

The publication organ of the DDG is the magazine ''Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft'' (ISSN 1610-0387), published by

Wiley Online Library John Wiley & Sons, Inc., commonly known as Wiley (), is an American multinational publishing company founded in 1807 that focuses on academic publishing and instructional materials. The company produces books, journals, and encyclopedias, in p ...

, and the society awards different scientific prizes, such as "Deutschen Neurodermitis Preis", "Deutschen Psoriasis Preis", "Oscar-Gans-Preis" etc. and grants research fellowships. Commemorating the 70th anniversary of the death of Karl Herxheimer, who was a

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

dermatologist from

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

, the society organized a Karl Herxheimer commemoration lecture on 6 December 2012 and set up a memorial stone in the Jewish

graveyard A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...

in Frankfurt. The award of the Karl Herxheimer Medal is the highest honor in German dermatology. It is given to outstanding scholars in the field of dermatovenerology in memory of the great doctor, teacher and researcher Karl Herxheimer.

References

{{Authority control Dermatology organizations Medical associations based in Germany Organizations established in 1889