Stühmer, alfred

(¤ 1885, † 1957) Dermatologist. Studied medicine in Jena, Munich and Breslau. From 1913 dermatological training with Albert Neisser/Breslau. 1919 move to Freiburg to Georg Alexander Rost. Focus of research at that time was syphilis. 1925 Appointed to the newly founded dermatological chair in Münster. Scientific work on lupus vulgaris. Foundation of the "Lupus sanatorium" Haus Hornheide. Since in Freiburg G.A. Rost was forcibly demerited by the National Socialist regime at the age of 56 because of "political unreliability", he was succeeded in 1934 by Stühmer (NSDAP member since 1937), who was accepted by the regime. Stühmer was also elected dean of his university. In 1938 Stühmer had to answer an inquiry from the director of the dental polyclinic, Friedrich Faber, whether and to what extent Jewish patients had to be treated in the clinics subordinated to the state. Stühmer answered: "The sick Jewish person needs medical treatment. Therefore, if he wants to make use of our help, he has not only the right but the duty to be treated".

On the other hand, as dean he expressed himself in a lecture on December 3, 1937: "National Socialism had purged the faculty and the teaching staff of elements alien to the people". Stühmer welcomed the elimination of Jews from the university (quoted from A. Scholz).

Scholz A et al (2009) (eds). History of German-language dermatology. Wiley-VCH Verlag, Freiburg: 96-137.