Hans Kraus (November 28, 1905 in
Austria-Hungary – March 6, 1996, in
New York City) was a physician, physical therapist, mountaineer and alpinist.
A pioneer of modern
rock climbing
Rock climbing is a sport in which participants climb up, across, or down natural rock formations. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Rock climbing is a physically and ...
, he was also one of the fathers of
sports medicine and
physical medicine and rehabilitation and was elected to the U.S.
National Ski Hall of Fame in 1974.
Career
Born in the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
, Kraus attended medical school in
Vienna in the 1920s, against his father's wishes, becoming an
orthopedic surgeon. Through his subsequent practice he developed a philosophy of treatment at odds with traditional medicine of the time. He would evolve this method, called "immediate mobilization", over his entire medical career. Passing his medical exams in New York, Kraus continued developing unique methods of fracture treatment, applying them to all kinds of athletes. He became especially well known in skiing circles.
In the 1950s, Kraus was behind a push by the
Appalachian Mountain Club to regulat e climbing in the
Shawangunks, and to install a safety code to prevent climbing accidents. This safety code led to conflicts with
Lester Germer Lester Halbert Germer (October 10, 1896 – October 3, 1971) was an American physicist. With Clinton Davisson, he proved the wave-particle duality of matter in the Davisson–Germer experiment, which was important to the development of the elec ...
and
The Vulgarians
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...
, and was later abandoned.
Kraus warned Americans that children were not getting enough exercise and were watching too much television. Along with
Bonnie Prudden
Bonnie Prudden (
Ruth Alice Prudden; January 29, 1914 – December 11, 2011) was an American physical fitness pioneer, rock climber and mountaineer. Her report to Eisenhower on the unfitness of American children as compared with their European co ...
, he campaigned for better physical exercise programs for children, and authored several books on exercise, sports medicine, and physical therapy. Eisenhower championed Kraus and his campaign to get Americans to exercise. However, by 1957, it was clear that Kraus was unsuccessful. Kraus was broadly opposed by the
AMA
Ama or AMA may refer to:
Ama Languages
* Ama language (New Guinea)
* Ama language (Sudan)
People
* Ama (Ama Kōhei), former ring name for sumo wrestler Harumafuji Kōhei
* Mary Ama, a New Zealand artist
* Shola Ama, a British singer
* Ām ...
and gym teachers (who felt Kraus was disparaging to their leadership) and many Americans, as ''Sports Illustrated'' reported in 1957, who worried that mandatory exercise programs for children would "Hitlerize American youth."
Kraus also continued to develop a unique approach to treating back pain in collaboration with another doctor, Sonja Weber. They developed an understanding of the underlying causes of back pain and devised the
Kraus–Weber test
The Kraus–Weber test (or K–W test) is a fitness test devised in the 1940s by Hans Kraus and Sonja Weber of New York Presbyterian Hospital. The poor tests results of American children versus children from European countries gained attention in ...
(also called K–W test) and exercises to alleviate it.
Kraus was an associate professor at the
. His studies on children led to President
Dwight D. Eisenhower establishing the
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. In October 1961, Kraus became President Kennedy's secret White House back doctor.
The story of Kennedy's back had never prior been reported, although there was much speculation; but Kraus and Kennedy's two other White House doctors had sworn confidentiality.
In April 2006, over ten years after Kraus's death, Kraus's widow donated Kraus's White House medical records on Kennedy to the Kennedy Library.
[John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum](_blank)
Accessed October 18, 2022. Kraus's medical records purported to show that by the time of Kennedy's death in Dallas, Kraus's therapy had nearly cured Kennedy of his lifelong back pain.
Kraus's White House medical records also contain several entries about Kennedy's back
corset
A corset is a support garment commonly worn to hold and train the torso into a desired shape, traditionally a smaller waist or larger bottom, for aesthetic or medical purposes (either for the duration of wearing it or with a more lasting effe ...
, which he had worn since Harvard. Kraus recorded that he had grown convinced that the corset was impeding Kennedy's recovery and that Kennedy needed to permanently stop wearing it. In October 1963, Kennedy told Kraus that he would stop wearing his corset indefinitely starting in January 1964. Several leading presidential historians, including
James Reston and
Robert Dallek, theorized that Kennedy might have survived Dallas had he been wearing the corset.
"The Medical Ordeals of JFK"
''The Atlantic'', December 2002.
Climbing
Among his friends and climbing partners were Emilio Comici and Gino Soldà
Gino Soldà (8 March 1907 – 8 November 1989) was an Italian cross-country skier. He competed in the men's 18 kilometre event at the 1932 Winter Olympics
The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games and co ...
. He would later bring the Dolomite techniques of high-angle face climbing to the United States
In 1940, he met Fritz Wiessner, who would become a lifelong friend and climbing partner. Wiessner had discovered the Shawangunks in 1935, and together Kraus and Wiessner spent every spare day developing routes in the area. Wiessner was known for his outstanding free climbing
Free climbing is a form of rock climbing in which the climber may use climbing equipment such as ropes and other means of climbing protection, but only to protect against injury during falls and not to assist vertical or horizontal progress. Th ...
technique; Kraus's specialty was aid climbing
Aid climbing is a style of climbing in which standing on or pulling oneself up via devices attached to fixed or placed protection is used to make upward progress.
The term contrasts with free climbing in which progress is made without using artifi ...
. Thus, the two men's climbing skills complemented each other. While both men enjoyed climbing with women (notably with Bonnie Prudden
Bonnie Prudden (
Ruth Alice Prudden; January 29, 1914 – December 11, 2011) was an American physical fitness pioneer, rock climber and mountaineer. Her report to Eisenhower on the unfitness of American children as compared with their European co ...
, an accomplished climber in her own right), they continued to climb together, with often spectacular results. One of Kraus's and Wiessner's most significant efforts at the Gunks
The Shawangunk Ridge , also known as the Shawangunk Mountains or The Gunks, is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of the border with New Jersey ...
was High Exposure, a bold 5.6 that involves a blind reach around an overhung corner 150 feet up in the air; the route still confounds novice climbers. Done in 1941, with a hemp rope and three soft-iron piton
A piton (; also called ''pin'' or ''peg'') in climbing is a metal spike (usually steel) that is driven into a crack or seam in the climbing surface using a climbing hammer, and which acts as an anchor for protecting the climber against the ...
s for protection, High Exposure was a world-class accomplishment.
In November 1975, Kraus reclimbed the route – his favorite – to celebrate his 70th birthday. Other significant Kraus's first ascents in the Gunks included: Northern Pillar 5.2 (The first technical rock climb in ''The Trapps''; Three Pines 5.3; Horseman 5.5
''Twilight of the Innocents'' is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band Ash. It was released on 29 June 2007, through Infectious Records. Following the departure of guitarist Charlotte Hatherley in early 2006, the band began recording their ...
; Madame Grunnebaum's Wulst 5.6; Easy Overhang 5.2; Bitchy Virgin 5.7R (the first "R" rated climb in the Shawangunks); and Emilio 5.7 (the first aid climb in the Gunks – Kraus and Wiessner employed a shoulder stand).
By the end of the 1940s, the Shawangunks had fifty-eight documented climbing routes. Twenty-six of these were first ascents by Kraus; 23 were by Wiessner.
Personal life
Kraus was born in what is now Trieste, Italy, which at the time was part of the 1867–1918 Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
, he was taught English as a youth by James Joyce. In 1938, the Kraus family fled Europe, just ahead of World War II, this time to the United States. They settled in New York City. Kraus was not allowed to enlist in the U.S. military because he had been born in Trieste, which had belonged to the Habsburg Empire at the time of Kraus's birth. Therefore, he was technically considered an "enemy alien", even though he was a legal immigrant, and a Jew. He became a U.S. citizen in 1945.
Sometime in the late 1930s (precise date unknown; pre-1938), Kraus married Susanne Simon. The marriage was apparently not a happy one, and they separated in 1944 and were divorced in the 1950s. In 1959, Kraus remarried, to Madi Springer-Miller, a champion skier and the first woman to ski the "Lip" of Tuckerman's Ravine
Tuckerman Ravine is a glacial cirque sloping eastward on the southeast face of Mt. Washington, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Although it draws hikers throughout the year, and skiers throughout the winter, it is best known for the man ...
on Mount Washington. They had two daughters, Ann and Mary.
In 1984, at the age of 79, Kraus stopped climbing completely, due to arthritis
Arthritis is a term often used to mean any disorder that affects joints. Symptoms generally include joint pain and stiffness. Other symptoms may include redness, warmth, swelling, and decreased range of motion of the affected joints. In som ...
, and the cumulative effects of various injuries. His last climb was ''Easy Overhang'', a route he had done the first ascent of in 1941.
In 1995, Kraus was diagnosed with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...
. He died peacefully on the morning of March 6, 1996, aged 90, in his New York City apartment, holding his daughter's hand. His ashes were carried up the ''High Exposure'' buttress by an old friend and scattered into the air at the top.
List of works
Books
* Hypokinetic Disease: Diseases Caused by Lack of Exercise' (1965; with Wilhelm Raab)
* Backache, Stress, and Tension, Their Cause, Prevention, and Treatment (1965)
* The Cause, Prevention and Treatment of Backache (1969)
* Clinical Treatment of Back and Neck Pain (1970)
* The Causes, Prevention and Treatment of Sports Injuries (1981)
* The Sports Injury Handbook (1987)
* Diagnosis and Treatment of Muscle Pain (1988)
* Backache, Stress, and Tension: Understanding Why You Have Back Pain and Simple Exercises to Prevent and Treat It (2015; updated edition)
* Clinical Treatment of Back and Neck Pain (1970)
Journal publications
* Kraus H & Eisenmenger-Weber S (1945) Evaluation of posture based on structural and functional measurements, ''The Physiotherapy review'' 25:267–71
[Pubmed
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1947) Therapeutic exercises in pediatrics, ''The Medical clinics of North America'' 31:626–35
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/nowiki>* Kraus H & Eisenmenger-Weber S (1947) Fundamental considerations of posture exercises guided by qualitative and quantitative measurements and tests, ''The Physiotherapy review'' 27(6):361–8
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1949) Clinical pathophysiology of therapeutic exercises, ''New York state journal of medicine'' 49(3):294–6
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1949) The role of therapeutic exercises in the treatment of low back pain, ''New York state journal of medicine'' 49(13):1523
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/nowiki>* Weber S & Kraus H (1949) Passive and active stretching of muscles; spring stretch and control group, ''The Physical therapy review'' 29(9):407–10
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1952) Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain, ''GP'' 5(4):55–60
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/nowiki>* Kraus H & Hirschland RP (1954) Muscular fitness and orthopedic disability, ''New York state journal of medicine'' 54(2):212–5
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/nowiki>* Kraus H, Hirschland BP, Hirschhorn K (1956) Role of inactivity in production of disease; hypokinetic disease, ''Journal of the American Geriatrics Society'' 4(5):463–71.
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/nowiki>* Hirschhorn K, Hirschland BP, Kraus H (1956) Hypokinetic disease; role of inactivity in production of disease, ''The British journal of physical medicine: including its application to industry'' 19(8):180–5
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1959) Prevention and treatment of ski injuries, ''Journal of the American Medical Association'' 169(13):1414–1419
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/nowiki>* Kraus H, Nagler W, Weber S (1959) Role of exercise in the prevention of disease, ''GP'' 20:121–6
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1959) Evaluation and treatment of muscle function in athletic injury, ''American Journal of surgery'' 98:353–62
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1961) Prevention and treatment of skiing injuries, ''The Journal of Trauma'' 1:457–63
[Pubmed
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1964) Pseudodisc—the problem of backache, ''Proceedings of the Rudolf Virchow Medical Society in the City of New York'' 23:50–9
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1965) Preventive value of physical fitness in the young, ''Southern Medical Journal'' 58(12):1561–1564
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1966) Muscle function of the temporomandibular joint, ''Dental clinics of North America'' 553–8
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1967) "Pseudo-disc", ''Southern Medical Journal'' 60(4):416–
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1967) Prevention of low back pain, ''Journal of occupational medicine'' 9(11):555–9
[Pubmed
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/nowiki>* Kraus H & Kirsten R (1968) [Effect of swimming training on muscle metabolism], ''Monatsschrift fur Kinderheilkunde'' 116(6):313–5.
[Pubmed
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/nowiki>* Kraus H, Kirsten R, Wolff JR (1969) [Effect of swimming and running exercise on the cellular function and structure of muscle], ''Pflügers Archiv: European Journal of physiology'' 308(1):57–79
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/nowiki>* Kraus H & Kirsten R (1970) [Effect of physical training on mitochondrial energy production in heart muscle and liver], ''Pflügers Archiv: European Journal of physiology'' 320(4):334–47
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/nowiki>* Kraus H & Kinne R (1970) [Regulation of the observed metabolic adaptation and performance increase by thyroid hormones during prolonged physical training], ''Pflügers Archiv: European Journal of physiology'' 321(4):332–4
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/nowiki>* Farfan HF, Cossette JW, Robertson GH, Wells RV, Kraus H (1970) The effects of torsion on the lumbar intervertebral joints: the role of torsion in the production of disc degeneration, ''Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery'' 52(3):468–97
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1972) Evaluation of muscular and cardiovascular fitness, ''Preventive medicine'' 1(1):178–84
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1972) Reconditioning after knee injuries, ''New York state journal of medicine'' 72(8):941-5
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1973) Triggerpoints, ''New York state journal of medicine'' 73(11):1310–1314
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/nowiki>* Lamy C, Bazergui A, Kraus H, Farfan HF (1975) The strength of the neural arch and the etiology of spondylolysis, ''The Orthopedic clinics of North America'' 6(1):215–31
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1975) The need for relaxation in athletics, ''The Journal of Sports Medicine'' 3(1):41–3
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1976) Effect of lordosis on the stress in the lumbar spine, ''Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research'' (117): 56–8
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/nowiki>* Kraus H, Melleby A, Gaston SR (1977) Back pain correction and prevention. National voluntary organizational approach, ''New York state journal of medicine'' 77(8):1335–1338
[Pubmed
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1977) Research methods in the biomechanics of sports, ''The Orthopedic clinics of North America'' 8(3):549–62
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/nowiki>* Afalonis A, Kraus H, Davis O, Neubauer RA, End E, George F, Furth FW, Davidson MR (1978) Letters, ''The Physician and sportsmedicine'' 6(2):9–17
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/nowiki>* Nicholas JA, Sapega A, Kraus H, Webb JN (1978) Factors influencing manual muscle tests in physical therapy, ''Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery'' 60(2):186–90
[Pubmed
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/nowiki>* Kraus H (1978) Reconditioning aging muscles, ''Geriatrics'' 33(6):93–6
[Pubmed
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/nowiki>* Kraus H, Nagler W, Melleby A (1983) Evaluation of an exercise program for back pain, ''American Family Physician Journal'' 28(3):153–8
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/nowiki>* Kraus H & Fischer AA (1991) Diagnosis and treatment of myofascial pain, ''Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine'' 58(3):235–9
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/nowiki>* Marcus N, Kraus H, Rachlin E (1995) Comments on K.H. Njoo and E. Van der Does, PAIN 58(1994): 317–323. ''PAIN'' 61(1):159
[Pubmed
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/nowiki>* Kraus H & Marcus NJ (1997) The reintroduction of an exercise program to directly treat low back pain of muscular origin, ''Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation'' 8(2): 95–107
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References
* Susan E. B. Schwartz (2005). ''Into The Unknown: The Remarkable Life of Hans Kraus''. Bloomington, Indiana: iUniverse.
* Waterman, Laura and Guy (1993). Yankee Rock and Ice: A History of Climbing in the Northeastern United States, with A. Peter Lewis, photography. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books.
* Williams, Richard (2000). ''Shawangunk Rock Climbs: The Trapps''. Golden, CO: American Alpine Club.
External links
Short bio of Hans Kraus
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kraus, Hans
1905 births
1996 deaths
20th-century Austrian people
Austrian mountain climbers
Sportspeople from Vienna