Frieboes, walter

(¤ 1880,  1945) Dermatologist, working in Rostock, Berlin Born in 1880 in Gotha as son of a bank director. 1901 high school graduation. Subsequently studied medicine at the universities of Rostock, Würzburg and Berlin. state examination 1906. doctorate 1907. subject of the dissertation: "Contributions to the knowledge of jute". Subsequently one year of general studies. Dermatological training at the skin clinics in Berlin (with E. Lesser and Georg Arnd) and in Rostock (with M .Wolters). In 1910 he moved from Rostock to Bonn to habilitate in 1912 under Erich Hoffmann. Topic of his habilitation thesis: "Contribution to the clinic and histopathology of benign skin epitheliomas". In October 1913, he was appointed to the Dermatological Clinic of Rostock as a substitute for Maximilian Wolters, who was already seriously ill at the time. In 1919 he was appointed full professor. In 1920 his first monograph appeared: "Grundriss der Histopathologie der Haut." 1927 the atlas of skin and venereal diseases was published. During the 18 years of his directorship, W. Frieboes expanded the clinic to 140 beds. On 1 October 1932 W. Frieboes moved to Berlin to take over the management of the Charité skin clinic. At that time, the Berlin university was looking for a scientifically outstanding representative. However, the spatial conditions in the clinic and polyclinic as well as the financial conditions for research were so poor that the appointment negotiations dragged on for two years. The primarily courted Bruno Bloch from Zurich rejected the appointment because of the desolate conditions. Frieboes held the position of university lecturer and director of the dermatology clinic of the Charité until his death at the beginning of May 1945. Frieboes was also able to expand the dermatology clinic at the University Dermatology Clinic in Berlin despite the poor structural condition and lack of financial means, and to push ahead with the expansion of research. Frieboes was a member of the Leopoldina. Frieboes was also a member of the NS Teachers' Association since 1933. On the instructions of Adolf Hitler, Frieboes was a member of the Scientific Senate of the Army Medical Service during the Second World War. He was co-editor of the "Archive for Dermatology and Syphilis". Frieboes was the author of textbooks and reference books on dermatology and venereology. In 1945 he volunteered for the so-called Volkssturm. The circumstances of his death on 2 May 1945 are unclear.

1. Wedemeyer J (1986) The history of dermatological chairs and their full professorships in Germany. Med. diss. Clinic for Dermatology and Venerology of the Medical University of Lübeck