Table Of ContentEmil KraeQelin
MEMOIRS
Springer-Verlag
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London Paris Tokyo
Edited by
Professor Dr. H. HIPPIUS
Psychiatrische Klinik und Poliklinik der Ludwig-Maximillians-Universitat
NuBbaumstraBe 7, 8000 MUnchen 2
Professor Dr. G. PETERS
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft fUr Psychiatrie,
Professor Dr. D. PLOOG
Max-Planck-Institut fur Psychiatrie
KraepelinstraBe 2 u. 10, 8000 Munchen 40
in collaboration with
Dr. P.HOFF
Psychiatrische Klinik und Poliklinik der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat
Munchen, NuBbaumstraBe 7, 8000 Munchen 2
Frau A. KREUTER
HaydnstraBe 2, 8000 Munchen 2
Translated by
CHERYL WOODING-DEANE
Psychiatrische Klinik und Poliklinik der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat
Munchen, NuBbaumstraBe 7, 8000 Munchen 2
With 23 Documentary Illustrations
ISBN-13:978-3-642-71926-4 e-ISBN-13:978-3-642-71924-0
DOl: 10.10071978-3-642-71924-0
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data. Kraepelin, Emil, 1856-1926. Memoirs
Translation of: Lebenserinnerungen. Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Kraepelin,
Emil, 1856-1926. 2. Psychiatrists-Germany-Biography. I. Hippius, Hanns. II. Peters, G.
(Gerd), 1906- III. Ploog, Detlev, 1920- IV. Title.
RC438.6.K73A313 1987 616.89'0092'4 [B) 87-4694
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© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1987
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1987
The use of registered names, trademarks, etc. in this pUblication does not imply, even in the
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Typesetting: Fotosatz & Design, Berchtesgaden
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FOR THE READER
The text of Emil Kraepelin's "Memoirs" is based on a typewritten
manuscript, which Kraepelin corrected by hand. The spelling differed
in some parts of the German text and had to be standardized (Duden).
About 500 names are mentioned in the text. For approximately 320
of the persons mentioned brief details of the respective lives and works
are summarized in an appendix. With regard to the persons not men
tioned in the appendix we were either not able to find any reliable bi
ographical details or the names were so well-known, that an explana
tion was not necessary. A list of the latter names appears after the
biographical details.
In spite of all efforts some of the brief biographies are incomplete.
The uncertain or possibly incorrect data are indicated by questions
marks. We would be grateful if any readers could help us to complete
or correct our information.
Alma Kreuter and Dr. P. Hoff supported us considerably in our ed
itorial and research work.
A. Kreuter worked at the Psychiatric Clinic of the Munich Univer
sity during Kraepelin's lifetime and was personal secretary to Kraepe
lin's successors until 1970. Since her retirement in 1970 she has contin
ued to take care of the archive material in the clinic.
Dr. Hoff is a scientific assistant at the Psychiatric Clinic of the Mu
nich University.
We would like to thank A. Kreuter and Dr. Hoff and many other co
workers of the Max-Planck-Institute for Psychiatry and the Psychiatric
Clinic of the Munich University, who have helped us with our work.
We would like to express our special gratitude to Emil Kraepelin's
descendants for agreeing to publish the "Memoirs". We regret that
Kraepelin's last daughter, Eva Duerr nee Kraepelin, did not live to see
the publication, which she kindly consented to. She died on the 16th of
February, 1983, in Sonthofen. The Editors
FOREWORD TO THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION TO
EMIL KRAEPELIN'S "MEMOIRS"
Kraepelin has bequeathed a legacy to the fields of clinical psychia
try, clinical and experimental psychology, and psychiatric genetics and
epidemiology, that anticipated some future developments in these fields
by merely a century. Despite the temporary set-back dealt to the
Kraepelinian's influence in the USA and elsewhere during the middle
of the current century by the psychoanalytic movement, the last quarter
of this century has seen a return to Kraepelin. His introduction of psy
chological experimentation into the clinic influenced by his Wundtian
training, his introduction of drug research into psychopathology, his
early epidemiological efforts, and his laying down of a classification
system which is still the reigning system in psychopathology, makes him
one of the outstanding psychopathologists of the century. For these rea
sons, it is most fortunate that the story of his life can be made available
to the English speaking world, where his influence is so greatly felt. It is
of special interest that he combines the best traditions in both psychiatry
and psychology and welded the two into a powerful thrust in his investi
gations. Both clinical psychiatry and experimental psychopathology
and, to some extent, clinical psychology can claim him as their grandfa
ther. The fact that he was equally acceptable in these fields, and that his
choice of psychiatry was dictated more by the happenstance of love and
economics than by scientific interests, indicates the great similarities
that exist between these fields. This fact should foster a better under
standing between these disciplines than is sometimes the case. It is for
these reasons that the editors felt the need for an English translation and
are grateful to Springer Verlag for making it possible.
J.ZUBIN
FOREWORD
When Emil Kraepelin died (15.02.1856-07.10.1926), he left behind
his memoirs, which were not published until today. Co-workers and col
leagues from the last years of Kraepelin's life and his family knew that
such an autobiography existed, but they were not sure whether these
memoirs should be made public, so they remained unpublished.
At a commemoration 50 years after Emil Kraepelin's death in Mu
nich (1976) the descendants, who attended the festivities, agreed to the
editors' suggestion to publish the "Memoirs". Through this publication
we have been able to learn more about the life of a man, whose work has
had a decisive and lasting effect on the entire psychiatry since the end of
the last century. When one reads the memoirs, one has to admit that on
ly very little is known about this great psychiatrist's personality and path
through life and that this gap has by no means been filled by the publica
tion of his memoirs. Perhaps this publication will encourage work on a
biography, which will give us more information on Kraepelin's person
ality, life and scientific work.
The focal-point of Kraepelin's work lies in the classification ofp sy
chiatric clinical syndromes, which was developed from clinical observa
tions, was constantly tested empirically and was altered taking new
findings and knowledge into account. However, the basis of this system
has remained unchanged and valid until today. At the beginning of
Kraepelin's work, a 100 years ago, the little "Compendium der Psychia
trie" was published in 1883 in Leipzig. This slim book later became the
large text-book "Psychiatrie", whose last complete (8th) edition ap
peared in the years 1909-1915 in four volumes. Two volumes of the 9th
edition, which Kraepelin had planned together with Johannes Lange,
but was never completed, did not appear until 1927 after Kraepelin's
death.
Although the foundations of psychiatric diagnostics and classifica
tion are a part of Kraepelin's scientific work and one of the reasons that
x
his name is quoted in psychiatry all over the world, one should not for
get that he influenced psychiatry even more extensively.
Some areas Kraepelin was interested in - based on experiences dur
ing his first four years as assistant doctor (1878-1882) under B. von
Gudden in Munich - and then later especially working together with
scientists such as A. Alzheimer, K. Brodmann, F. Nissl and W. Spielmey
er, effectively influenced the development of neuropathology. Through
his investigations in the laboratory of the psychologist W. Wundt during
his work as assistant to Flechsig and Erb in Leipzig (1882-1885), Krae
pelin became a pioneer of experimental psychological and psycho-physio
logical fundamental research in psychiatry. From these origins scientific
ideas and the beginning of research developed. Kraepelin lived for the
materialization of his ideas, which finally came to be with the founda
tion of the "Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fUr Psychiatrie" in Munich in
1917.
Forensic psychiatry was given important impulses by some of Krae
pelin's earliest studies. Some other investigations became the starting
point for the development of pharmacopsychology and pharmacopsychi
atry - for areas of research, which are nowadays particularly important
not only for fundamental research, but also for practical therapy. Krae
pelin's research journey to Java (1904) is the root of a research area,
which he himself termed as "comparative psychiatry" and which has
spread all over the world today as "transcultural psychiatry". Kraepelin
and his co-workers are also responsible for the basis of the psychiatric
epidemiology and the psychiatric genetics. Furthermore, Kraepelin espe
cially promoted and encouraged all those branches of research, which
are nowadays known as "biological psychiatry".
In many of these research directions founded or decisively influ
enced by Kraepelin one often tends to forget the important part he had
played in their development. In this context one can understand the in
scription on his gravestone in Heidelberg: "Your name may vanish, only
your work will continue".
During the last few years in many parts of the world there has been
an inclination to reconsider Kraepelin's work - in the USA there is al
ready a "Kraepelinism" movement and "Kraepelinians". These reflec
tions were and are mainly based on the work in the various editions of
his text-book on psychiatric nosography and classification. However, one
should not forget that Kraepelin's probably greatest and longest lasting
influence lies in the impetus he gave to psychiatric research.
XI
We wrote his "Memoirs" at a time when all his energy was devoted
to establishing the "Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fUr Psychiatrie". All
his scientific ideas and plans flowed from 1912 into the one main inten
tion to found a research institute for psychiatry. In spite of the adverse
circumstances during the First World War he succeeded in carrying out
his plan in 1917. At this time it was not possible to consider building a
new institute to serve for these purposes, so the work of the "For
schungsanstalt" began in the rooms of Kraepelin's university clinic,
which he ran until 1922, and in some nearby buildings. In 1924, during
Kraepelin's lifetime the "Forschungsanstalt" became a member of the
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gesellschaft. Kraepelin did not live to see the opening
of the new research institute building in Munich-Schwabing (1928),
which had been built with financial support from the Rockefeller Foun
dation. The "Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fUr Psychiatrie" still exists
nowadays as Max-Planck-Institut fUr Psychiatrie and has become a
model for many of the important psychiatric research establishments in
the whole world.
The "Forschungsanstalt" and Kraepelin's entire scientific work -
the text-books, the monographies and the original publications - record
in an unique manner how psychiatric research systematically pro
gressed closely linked to clinical daily experiences as it still should now
adays!
Kraepelin's "Memoirs" finish about 7 years before his death, thus
covering the time until 1919. They reflect on a period, in which Krae
pelin made guiding and still valid basic statements on psychiatric re
search in publications on "Ziele und Wege der psychiatrischen For
schung" (1918) and "Die Erforschung psychischer Krankheitsformen"
(1919).
During the course of his life Kraepelin met many people. He be
came acquainted with many of them coincidence; he went especially to
visit many others, people he found interesting, so he could speak to
them. Once he had got to know teachers, friends and colleagues, he
maintained the contact. During his many travels he often went out of his
way to meet friends or colleagues. Therefore, there are many names in
his accounts, many of which are unkown to us nowadays or in some
cases we are unable to imagine exactly who he meant. For this reason
we thought that it would useful to collect the mentioned names in an ap
pendix and to add brief biographical facts to each name. These brief
biographies should give the reader additional information about Krae-
XII
pelin's relationship to these people. In some cases, we are even able to
gain insight into contemporary history and a contribution to the history
of psychiatry, the psychiatry of the times, in which Kraepelin lived.
Munich, 1983 H. HIPPIUS, G. PETERS, D. PLOOG
CONTENTS
For the Reader . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. V
Foreword to the English Translation of Emil Kraepelin's "Me-
moirs" ............ . VII
Foreword ........... . IX
Curriculum Vitae E. Kraepelin . XIV
The Memoirs . 1
Appendix ........... . 191
Short Biographies of Persons Mentioned in the Text (in alpha-
beticalorder) ............................ 191
List of Names of Persons Mentioned in the Text but not In-
cluded in the Short Biographies. 230
Bibliography of E. Kraepelin 236
Name Index . . . . . . . . 239
Documentary Illustrations 243
