Erich Geiringer (31 January 1917 – 24 August 1995) was a New Zealand writer, publisher, broadcaster, Fulbright scholar 1953, a leading member of

International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) is a non-partisan federation of national medical groups in 63 countries, representing doctors, medical students, other health workers, and concerned people who share the goal of ...

(IPPNW), and the founder of the New Zealand Medical Association. George Salmond described him in a memorial tribute as, 'one of the most significant public health figures in New Zealand in the last half century'. Born in Vienna,

Austria-Hungary 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 ...

in 1917, Geiringer escaped Nazi Germany in 1938, going first to Belgium and later the United Kingdom, attending medical school in Edinburgh and Glasgow. He gained a PhD in adreno-cortal transplantation from the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

in 1954. In New Zealand he became a researcher at

Otago Medical School The Dunedin School of Medicine is the name of the School of Medicine that is based on the Dunedin campus of the University of Otago. All University of Otago medical students who gain entry after the competitive Health Sciences First Year prog ...

in the 1960s. In the same period his pamphlets on advocating cervical smears were banned by a university for, 'being obscene'. According to

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

he dragged New Zealand medicine into the modern world. He was the founder of the

New Zealand Medical Association The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) is an association representing some doctors and medical students in New Zealand. It was officially founded after a meeting in April 1886 at Dunedin Hospital. From 1896 to 1967, the NZMA was considered as ...

. Geiringer held a radical stance in the abortion rights lobby, campaigning in the early 1970s for solidarity with jailed abortion providers. Geiringer was the author of a book on nuclear disarmament entitled ''Malice in Blunderland''. He was instrumental in the IPPNW's campaign in seeking an advisory opinion from the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...

questioning the legality of nuclear weapons. He died the same year in which the IPPNW managed to gain a hearing at the

. Geiringer was accused of raping a young female patient during a gynecological exam in 1976, he was acquitted. One patient of his recalls her shame and concern with his request for women and girls to be naked from the waist down for the prescription of an oral contraceptive pill. 30 years later she discovered that several of her colleagues shared similar concerns with his conduct as a doctor. Erich Geiringer died in Wellington on 24 August 1995, and is survived by his wife Dr Carol Shand (the daughter of

Tom Shand Thomas Philip Shand (16 April 1911 – 11 December 1969) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party. Biography Early life and career Shand was born in 1911 in Ngapara, North Otago. His parents were Gilbert Esme Tressillian Shand and Con ...

), his daughter Claudia and his sons Karl and

Felix Felix may refer to: * Felix (name), people and fictional characters with the name Places * Arabia Felix is the ancient Latin name of Yemen * Felix, Spain, a municipality of the province Almería, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, ...

References

External links

Obituary for Erich Geiringer
Jewish Online Museum
Portrait of Dr Erich Geiringer
National Library of New Zealand {{DEFAULTSORT:Geiringer, Erich 1917 births 1995 deaths Austrian emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand general practitioners New Zealand anti–nuclear weapons activists New Zealand Jews New Zealand people of Austrian-Jewish descent New Zealand Medical Association Writers from Vienna Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Weston family (New Zealand)