Christian Friedrich Wilhelm Roller
Encyclopedia
Christian Friedrich Wilhelm Roller (January 11, 1802 – January 3, 1878) was a German psychiatrist
born in Pforzheim
.
, and from 1835 to 1842 was director of the asylum.
At the Heidelberg asylum he was distressed by the conditions he experienced, and in collaboration with physician Friedrich Groos
(1768-1852), he developed plans for construction of a larger, more modern facility. Later his plans became reality when in 1842 he founded the Illenau Healing and Care Institution (Heil- und Pflegeanstalt Illenau) at Achern
. Roller was director of the Illenau institution until his death in 1878.
As a psychiatrist Roller was vehemently opposed to "city asylums", a standpoint which placed him at odds with a number of his contemporaries. He believed that an isolated non-urban setting such as Illenau was beneficial for a patients' return to mental health. In addition, he stressed the importance of separating the patient from his/her familiar surroundings. Two of the better known psychiatrists who served under him at Illenau were Bernhard von Gudden
(1824-1886) and Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840-1902).
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
born in Pforzheim
Pforzheim
Pforzheim is a town of nearly 119,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg, southwest Germany at the gate to the Black Forest. It is world-famous for its jewelry and watch-making industry. Until 1565 it was the home to the Margraves of Baden. Because of that it gained the nickname...
.
Career
Roller studied medicine at the Universities of Tübingen and Göttingen, and following graduation returned to Pforzheim to practice medicine. In 1827 he became an assistant at a mental institution in HeidelbergHeidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, and from 1835 to 1842 was director of the asylum.
At the Heidelberg asylum he was distressed by the conditions he experienced, and in collaboration with physician Friedrich Groos
Friedrich Groos
Friedrich Groos was a German physician and philosopher born in Karlsruhe.Initially a student of law in Tübingen and Stuttgart, his interest later turned to medicine. From 1792 studied medicine in Freiburg im Breisgau and Pavia, and following graduation became Stadtphysikus in Karlsruhe...
(1768-1852), he developed plans for construction of a larger, more modern facility. Later his plans became reality when in 1842 he founded the Illenau Healing and Care Institution (Heil- und Pflegeanstalt Illenau) at Achern
Achern
Achern is a city in Western Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located approximately 18 km southwest of Baden-Baden and 19 km northeast of Offenburg...
. Roller was director of the Illenau institution until his death in 1878.
As a psychiatrist Roller was vehemently opposed to "city asylums", a standpoint which placed him at odds with a number of his contemporaries. He believed that an isolated non-urban setting such as Illenau was beneficial for a patients' return to mental health. In addition, he stressed the importance of separating the patient from his/her familiar surroundings. Two of the better known psychiatrists who served under him at Illenau were Bernhard von Gudden
Bernhard von Gudden
Johann Bernhard Aloys von Gudden was a German neuroanatomist and psychiatrist born in Kleve.In 1848 he earned his doctorate from the University of Halle, and became an intern at the asylum in Siegburg under Carl Wigand Maximilian Jacobi...
(1824-1886) and Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840-1902).
Selected publications
- Die Irrenanstalt nach allen ihren Beziehungen dargestellt, 1831
- Psychiatrische Zeitfragen aus dem Gebiet der Irrenfürsorge in und außer den Anstalten und ihren Beziehungen zum staatlichen und gesellschaftlichen Leben, 1874