Hoimar von Ditfurth
Encyclopedia
Hoimar von Ditfurth was a German
physician
and scientific journalist
.
He was the father of Christian v. Ditfurth
, a writer and Jutta Ditfurth, a writer and journalist.
He won many awards in his lifetime including the Adolf Grimme Awards
in 1968, the Bambi Prize
in 1972 and the Kalinga Prize
in 1978.
Hoimar von Ditfurth was born in Berlin on 15. October 1921. He originated from the family of the classical philologist Hans-Otto von Ditfurth, a national conservative Prussian cavalry captain. After his Abitur at the Viktoria-Gymnasium in Potsdam (today Helmholtz-Gymnasium Potsdam
) in 1939, he studied medical science, psychology
and philosophy
at the universities Berlin
as well as Hamburg
and received a doctor´s degree in 1946.
From 1948 to 1960 he worked at the university hospital Würzburg
(at last in the position of an assistant medical director). In 1959 he habilitated at the university Würzburg and became private lecturer in psychiatry
and neurology
. In 1967 he became an associate professor of the medical faculty at the university Würzburg as well as 1968 at the university Heidelberg
.
1960 Ditfurth took a job in the pharmaceutical company C.F. Boehringer Mannheim
and there he was the leader of the so-called “Psycho Lab” being responsible for the development and clinical testing of psychotropic drugs.
At the same time he published the magazine n+m (“Naturwissenschaft und Medizin”) from 1964 until 1971. From 1972 the magazine was renamed as “Mannheimer Forum” and was published by Ditfurth until his death.
In 1969 he refused the position of an administrator ("I don't want to sacrifice my intellectual independence") and instead of that he became a freelance lecturer, publisher and scientific journalist.
Hoimar von Ditfurth was very successful as an author of popular science books and as a TV moderator (WDR, SFB, SR, ZDF).
Courageously he tried to pass over the gap between natural sciences and humanities. An eminent part of his lifework he consecrate himself to fight pseudoscience
, creationism
and anthropocentrism
.
Since 1971 he became well-known to a broad audience by making the ZDF series “Querschnitt” (later “Querschnitte”) together with Volker Arzt.
In the late 1970s he more and more turned to ecological subjects and became a critic of the western credo in progress and economical growth. In the beginning of the 80s he supported "Alliance '90/The Greens
" in its selection campaign.
Since 1949 Hoimar von Ditfurth was married with Heilwig von Raven. Together they had four children: Jutta (* 1951), Wolf-Christian (* 1953), Donata-Friederike (* 1956) und York-Alexander (* 1957).
His daughter Jutta von Ditfurth was known as a politician, while his son Christian von Ditfurth became important as a historian, journalist and writer.
Hoimar von Ditfurth was member of the German PEN-Zentrum.
On 1. November 1989 he died in Freiburg im Breisgau of thyroid cancer
and is buried in Staufen.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and scientific journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
He was the father of Christian v. Ditfurth
Christian v. Ditfurth
Wolf-Christian von Ditfurth is a German author and historian. He was a member of the German Communist Party from 1973 to 1983. In January 1998, he joined the SPD in which he served only two years....
, a writer and Jutta Ditfurth, a writer and journalist.
He won many awards in his lifetime including the Adolf Grimme Awards
Adolf Grimme Awards
The Adolf Grimme Award is a television award and one of the most prestigious awards for German television, which is named after the first general director of Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk, Adolf Grimme . It is also called the "German TV Oscar".The awards ceremony takes place annually at Theater Marl...
in 1968, the Bambi Prize
Bambi (prize)
The Bambi - Deutschlands Wichtigster Medienpreis, often simply called Bambi Awards and stylized as BAMBI, are presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television "with vision and creativity who affected and inspired the German public that year",...
in 1972 and the Kalinga Prize
Kalinga Prize
The Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science is an award given by UNESCO for exceptional skill in presenting scientific ideas to lay people...
in 1978.
Biography
Hoimar Gerhard Friedrich Ernst von Ditfurth (15.10.1921 -1.11.1989) was a German physician and scientific journalist. Particularly he is known as a TV moderator and writer of popular scientific books.Hoimar von Ditfurth was born in Berlin on 15. October 1921. He originated from the family of the classical philologist Hans-Otto von Ditfurth, a national conservative Prussian cavalry captain. After his Abitur at the Viktoria-Gymnasium in Potsdam (today Helmholtz-Gymnasium Potsdam
Potsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
) in 1939, he studied medical science, psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at the universities Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
as well as Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and received a doctor´s degree in 1946.
From 1948 to 1960 he worked at the university hospital Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
(at last in the position of an assistant medical director). In 1959 he habilitated at the university Würzburg and became private lecturer in psychiatry
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
and neurology
Neurology
Neurology is a medical specialty dealing with disorders of the nervous system. Specifically, it deals with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of disease involving the central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous systems, including their coverings, blood vessels, and all effector tissue,...
. In 1967 he became an associate professor of the medical faculty at the university Würzburg as well as 1968 at the university Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-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...
.
1960 Ditfurth took a job in the pharmaceutical company C.F. Boehringer Mannheim
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
and there he was the leader of the so-called “Psycho Lab” being responsible for the development and clinical testing of psychotropic drugs.
At the same time he published the magazine n+m (“Naturwissenschaft und Medizin”) from 1964 until 1971. From 1972 the magazine was renamed as “Mannheimer Forum” and was published by Ditfurth until his death.
In 1969 he refused the position of an administrator ("I don't want to sacrifice my intellectual independence") and instead of that he became a freelance lecturer, publisher and scientific journalist.
Hoimar von Ditfurth was very successful as an author of popular science books and as a TV moderator (WDR, SFB, SR, ZDF).
Courageously he tried to pass over the gap between natural sciences and humanities. An eminent part of his lifework he consecrate himself to fight pseudoscience
Pseudoscience
Pseudoscience is a claim, belief, or practice which is presented as scientific, but which does not adhere to a valid scientific method, lacks supporting evidence or plausibility, cannot be reliably tested, or otherwise lacks scientific status...
, creationism
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
and anthropocentrism
Anthropocentrism
Anthropocentrism describes the tendency for human beings to regard themselves as the central and most significant entities in the universe, or the assessment of reality through an exclusively human perspective....
.
Since 1971 he became well-known to a broad audience by making the ZDF series “Querschnitt” (later “Querschnitte”) together with Volker Arzt.
In the late 1970s he more and more turned to ecological subjects and became a critic of the western credo in progress and economical growth. In the beginning of the 80s he supported "Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
" in its selection campaign.
Since 1949 Hoimar von Ditfurth was married with Heilwig von Raven. Together they had four children: Jutta (* 1951), Wolf-Christian (* 1953), Donata-Friederike (* 1956) und York-Alexander (* 1957).
His daughter Jutta von Ditfurth was known as a politician, while his son Christian von Ditfurth became important as a historian, journalist and writer.
Hoimar von Ditfurth was member of the German PEN-Zentrum.
On 1. November 1989 he died in Freiburg im Breisgau of thyroid cancer
Thyroid cancer
Thyroid neoplasm is a neoplasm or tumor of the thyroid. It can be a benign tumor such as thyroid adenoma, or it can be a malignant neoplasm , such as papillary, follicular, medullary or anaplastic thyroid cancer. Most patients are 25 to 65 years of age when first diagnosed; women are more affected...
and is buried in Staufen.
Books
- "Die endogene Depression", 1960
- "Kinder des Weltalls", 1970 ("Children of the Universe")
- "Im Anfang war der Wasserstoff", 1972
- "Zusammenhänge", 1974
- "Dimensionen des Lebens", 1974 (together with Volker Arzt)
- "Der Geist fiel nicht vom Himmel", 1976
- "Die Großen - Leben und Leistung der sechshundert bedeutendsten Persönlichkeiten unserer Welt", herausgegeben von Kurt Fassmann unter Mitwirkung von Max Bill, Hoimar von Ditfurth u.a., Kindler Verlag, Zürich 1977
- "Querschnitt – Dimensionen des Lebens II", 1978 (together with Volker Arzt)
- "Wir sind nicht nur von dieser Welt", 1981 ("The Origins of Life-Evolution as Creation")
- "So laßt uns denn ein Apfelbäumchen pflanzen", 1985
- "Unbegreifliche Realität", 1987
- "Innenansichten eines Artgenossen", 1989
- "Das Gespräch", 1992 (Interviewer: Dieter Zilligen), ISBN 3-423-30329-8
- "Das Erbe des Neandertalers", 1992 (posthumous)
- "Die Sterne leuchten, auch wenn wir sie nicht sehen", 1994 (posthumous)
- "Die Wirklichkeit des Homo sapiens", 1995 (posthumous)
Literature
- Die Frau an seiner Seite – Gespräche mit Frauen berühmter Männer, hrsg. v. Helga Märthesheimer. Lübbe Verlag, Bergisch-Gladbach 1988. ISBN 3-404-60195-5 (Gespräch von Carola Benninghoven mit Heilwig von Ditfurth. S. 31-55)
- Der Gottheit lebendiges Kleid - Evolutionstheorie und Glaube. Franz Kreuzer im Gespräch mit Hoimar von Ditfurth, Kardinal Franz König und Arnold Keyserling. Deuticke Verlag 1982. ISBN 3-7005-4463-4
- Eckart Löhr: Hoimar von Ditfurth - Aspekte seines Denkens. Eine kritische Einführung in das Denken des Mediziners, Wissenschaftlers und Wissenschaftsjournalisten anlässlich seines 20. Todesjahres. Grin Verlag 2009. ISBN 3640267079