Leo Eitinger
Encyclopedia
Leo Eitinger was a Holocaust survivor and Norwegian Psychiatrist
who studied the late-onset psychological trauma
experienced by people who went through separation and psychological pain early in life only to show traumatic experience decades later. He devoted a long period studying late-onset psychological trauma amongst Holocaust survivors, wherein Holocaust survivors like Paul Celan
, Primo Levi
and many others committed suicide
due to holocaust trauma, several decades after the experience, towards late adulthood.
, Moravia
, at that time a town in the Austrian-Hungarian empire; currently the capital of Jihomoravský kraj and belonging to the Czech Republic. He studied medicine at the Masaryk University
of Brno, graduated in 1937, and was drafted as an officer into the Czech Air Force
. In 1939 he fled Nazi persecution of Jews and came to Norway
as a refugee with the help of Nansenhjelpen
. Upon arriving in Norway, he arranged for Jewish children to escape from Czechoslovakia to settle in the Jewish orphanage in Oslo. He was given permission to work as a resident in psychiatry in Norway in Bodø
, but the permission was revoked by the Nazis after they invaded the country in 1940.
on the ship Gotenland on February 24, 1943, arriving by train via Berlin at the concentration camp at Auschwitz (where the number 105268 was tattoed on his arm) and was later moved to Buchenwald. Of the 762 Jews
deported from Norway to German concentration camps, only 23 survived - Leo Eitinger was one of them. After returning to Norway he specialised in psychiatry
.
and became Head of the University Psychiatric Clinic.
After the war Leo Eitinger allocated all his time and efforts to the study of human suffering with emphasis on clinical psychiatry, in particular victimology and disaster psychiatry. He conducted several landmark studies about the long-term psychological and physical effects of extreme stress and also about being a refugee. Some of the major works have been published (e.g. Concentration camp survivors in Norway and Israel
(1964); Mortality and morbidity after extreme stress (1973); Strangers in the world (1981)).
Leo and Lisl Eitinger devoted their life to promotion of human rights and the fight against injustice and racism. They had an important role for the human rights movement in Norway. Thanks to their effort, Norway also became the first country in the world to appoint a chair for disaster psychiatry. When the World Health Organisation published their new classification of mental disorders
in 1992 (ICD-10), they included a category called Enduring personality change after catastrophic experience, a diagnostic concept based on the work of Eitinger.
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...
who studied the late-onset psychological trauma
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
experienced by people who went through separation and psychological pain early in life only to show traumatic experience decades later. He devoted a long period studying late-onset psychological trauma amongst Holocaust survivors, wherein Holocaust survivors like Paul Celan
Paul Celan
Paul Celan was a poet and translator...
, Primo Levi
Primo Levi
Primo Michele Levi was an Italian Jewish chemist and writer. He was the author of two novels and several collections of short stories, essays, and poems, but is best known for If This Is a Man, his account of the year he spent as a prisoner in the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland...
and many others committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
due to holocaust trauma, several decades after the experience, towards late adulthood.
Early life
Leo Eitinger was born in BrnoBrno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, at that time a town in the Austrian-Hungarian empire; currently the capital of Jihomoravský kraj and belonging to the Czech Republic. He studied medicine at the Masaryk University
Masaryk University
Masaryk University is the second largest university in the Czech Republic, a member of the Compostela Group and the Utrecht Network. Founded in 1919 in Brno as the third Czech university , it now consists of nine faculties and 42,182 students...
of Brno, graduated in 1937, and was drafted as an officer into the Czech Air Force
Czech Air Force
The Czech Air Force is the air force branch of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. The Air Force, with the Land Forces, comprises the Joint Forces, the main combat power of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic...
. In 1939 he fled Nazi persecution of Jews and came to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
as a refugee with the help of Nansenhjelpen
Nansenhjelpen
Nansenhjelpen was a Norwegian humanitarian organization founded by Odd Nansen in 1936 to provide safe haven and assistance in Norway for Jewish refugees from areas in Europe under Nazi control...
. Upon arriving in Norway, he arranged for Jewish children to escape from Czechoslovakia to settle in the Jewish orphanage in Oslo. He was given permission to work as a resident in psychiatry in Norway in Bodø
Bodø
is a city and a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region.The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Bodin was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005...
, but the permission was revoked by the Nazis after they invaded the country in 1940.
During World War II
He stayed underground from January 1941 until he was arrested in March 1942. He was imprisoned in various places throughout Norway and was deportedJewish deportees from Norway during World War II
During the Nazi occupation of Norway, German authorities deported about 768 individuals of Jewish background to concentration camps outside of Norway. 28 of these survived World War Two.-Deportation:The deportation schedule for the major transports was:...
on the ship Gotenland on February 24, 1943, arriving by train via Berlin at the concentration camp at Auschwitz (where the number 105268 was tattoed on his arm) and was later moved to Buchenwald. Of the 762 Jews
Holocaust in Norway
In the middle of the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany, there were at least 2,173 Jews in Norway. At least 775 of these were arrested, detained, and/or deported. 742 were murdered in the camps, 23 died as a result of extrajudicial execution, murder, and suicide during the war; bringing the total...
deported from Norway to German concentration camps, only 23 survived - Leo Eitinger was one of them. After returning to Norway he specialised 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...
.
Holocaust Psychiatrist
In 1966 Leo Eitinger was appointed professor of psychiatry at the University of OsloUniversity of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
and became Head of the University Psychiatric Clinic.
After the war Leo Eitinger allocated all his time and efforts to the study of human suffering with emphasis on clinical psychiatry, in particular victimology and disaster psychiatry. He conducted several landmark studies about the long-term psychological and physical effects of extreme stress and also about being a refugee. Some of the major works have been published (e.g. Concentration camp survivors in Norway and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
(1964); Mortality and morbidity after extreme stress (1973); Strangers in the world (1981)).
Leo and Lisl Eitinger devoted their life to promotion of human rights and the fight against injustice and racism. They had an important role for the human rights movement in Norway. Thanks to their effort, Norway also became the first country in the world to appoint a chair for disaster psychiatry. When the World Health Organisation published their new classification of mental disorders
Classification of mental disorders
The classification of mental disorders, also known as psychiatric nosology or taxonomy, is a key aspect of psychiatry and other mental health professions and an important issue for consumers and providers of mental health services...
in 1992 (ICD-10), they included a category called Enduring personality change after catastrophic experience, a diagnostic concept based on the work of Eitinger.