Karl Bonhoeffer (; March 31, 1868 – December 4, 1948) was a German

neurologist Neurology (from el, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the brain, the spinal c ...

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry, the branch of medicine devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, study, and treatment of mental disorders. Psychiatrists are physicians and evaluate patients to determine whether their sy ...

and

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

Life

Bonhoeffer was born in

Neresheim Neresheim is a town in the Ostalbkreis district, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated northeast of Heidenheim, and southeast of Aalen. It's the home of the Neresheim Abbey, which still hosts monks, was '' Reichsfrei'' until the Germa ...

in the

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg (german: Königreich Württemberg ) was a German state that existed from 1805 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which exist ...

to Friedrich von Bonhoeffer (1828–1907), who worked as judge in

Ulm Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no, ...

, and Julie Tafel (1842–1936). His brother was chemist Gustav-Otto Bonhoeffer. From 1887 to 1892 Bonhoeffer studied medicine at the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Wü ...

, 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 ...

and in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

. From 1904 to 1912 Bonhoeffer worked as a professor at the

University of Breslau A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

. From 1912 to 1938 Bonhoeffer worked at the

Charité The Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité – Berlin University of Medicine) is one of Europe's largest university hospitals, affiliated with Humboldt University and Free University Berlin. With numerous Collaborative Research Cen ...

in Berlin. In 1898, he married Paula von Hase (1876–1951). Two of his children were Klaus Bonhoeffer and

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Dietrich Bonhoeffer (; 4 February 1906 – 9 April 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and anti-Nazi dissident who was a key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity's role in the secular world have ...

, both of whom were executed by the Nazis. One of his daughters was

Christine von Dohnanyi Christine von Dohnanyi (née Bonhoeffer; 26 October 1903 – 2 February 1965) was the sister of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the wife of Hans von Dohnányi. Life Her father was a psychiatrist and neurologist Karl Bonhoeffer, noted for his criticism ...

and one more son was chemist

Karl-Friedrich Bonhoeffer Karl-Friedrich Bonhoeffer (13 January 1899 – 15 May 1957) was a German chemist. Education and career Born in Breslau, he was an older brother of martyred theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. His father was neurologist Karl Bonhoeffer and his moth ...

. Bonhoeffer died in Berlin at the age of 80 after the end of World War II. Bonhoeffer was a part of the resistance movement against the Nazis after the

Aktion T4 (German, ) was a campaign of mass murder by involuntary euthanasia in Nazi Germany. The term was first used in post-war trials against doctors who had been involved in the killings. The name T4 is an abbreviation of 4, a street address of ...

campaign was begun in 1939. He forged the documentation of disabled patients, suggested sources to other doctors to save patients.Lawrence A. Zeidman, ''Neuroscience in Nazi Europe Part II'' Although he contributed to the sterilization law, his efforts against Aktion T4 have led to him being remembered for the lives he saved and the influence he and his family had in fighting on the side of those who were deemed as "useless eaters".

Works by Bonhoeffer

* "Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis des großstädtischen Bettel- und Vagabundentums. Eine psychiatrische Untersuchung." ''Zeitschrift für die gesamte Strafrechtswissenschaft'', vol. 21, 1–65. Berlin 1900. * ''Die akuten Geisteskrankheiten der Gewohnheitstrinker.'' Jena 1901. * ''Die symptomatischen Psychosen im Gefolge von akuten Infektionen und inneren Erkrankungen.'' Deuticke, Leipzig, Wien 1910. * "Die Psychosen im Gefolge von akuten Infektionen, Allgemeinerkrankungen und inneren Erkrankerungen." In: ''Handbuch der Psychiatrie. Spezieller Teil.'' 3:1. Deuticke, Leipzig, Wien 1912, p. 1–120. * "Die exogenen Reaktionstypen." ''Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten'' vol. 58, Berlin 1917, pp. 50–70. * with P. Jossmann (ed.): ''Ergebnisse der Reiztherapie bei progressiver Paralyse.'' 1932. * with K. Albrecht et al. (ed.): ''Die psychiatrischen Aufgaben bei der Ausführung des Gesetzes zur Verhütung erbkranken Nachwuchses. Mit einem Anhang Die Technik der Unfruchtbarmachung. Klinische Vorträge im erbbiologischen Kurs.'' Karger, Berlin 1934. * (ed.): ''Die Erbkrankheiten. Klinische Vorträge im 2. erbbiologischen Kurs.'' 1936. * "Die zentralen Bewegungsstörungen. Die akuten und chronischen choreatischen Erkrankungen und die Myoklonien." In: S. A. Kinnier-Wilson: ''Die zentralen Bewegungsstörungen.'' 1936.

External links

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonhoeffer, Karl German neuroscientists German neurologists German psychiatrists University of Breslau faculty 1868 births 1948 deaths German Protestants Members of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina University of Tübingen alumni Physicians of the Charité People from Neresheim Physicians from Berlin Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich alumni