Herzlichen Glückwunsch an das König-Ludwig

Transcription

100 y
ears Orthopaedic clinic König-Ludwig-Haus Würzburg 1916 – 2016
years
Bild: © underdogstudios / fotolia.com
Herzlichen Glückwunsch
an das König-Ludwig-Haus
Das Uniklinikum Würzburg dankt seinem
Kooperationspartner für die gute Zusammenarbeit.
Orthopaedic Clinic
König-Ludwig-Haus Würzburg
Department of Orthopaedics
University of Würzburg
Innovation und Qualität
durch Kooperation.
Josef-Schneider-Straße 2 · 97080 Würzburg
Telefon: 0931 / 201-0 · E-Mail: [email protected] · www.ukw.de
Gesundheit im Fokus.
Wegweisend in medizinischer Versorgung, Forschung und Lehre.
um
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en Jubiläum
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100
Efinger
Orthopädietechnik
Vielen Dank für die langjährige und
vertrauensvolle Zusammenarbeit
König-Ludwig-Haus
Würzburg
Neubau Zentrum für
seelische Gesundheit
GmbH
Neubau mit Untersuchungs- und
Behandlungsräumen, sowie Patientenzimmer. Hörsaal mit Medientechnik. Radiologische Praxis mit
MRT. Planung und Bauleitung der
Gewerke HLS und ELT.
Würzburg gilt durch Johann Georg Heine als Wiege der Orthopädietechnik. In dieser Tradition führt die Firma Efinger seit 1988 die seit
100 Jahren bestehende Werkstatt des König-Ludwig-Hauses fort.
Erfahrung und Fortschritt – stets zum Wohle des Menschen.
Auftraggeber: Bezirk Unterfranken
Forschungszentrum für Experimentelle Biomedizin. In einen dreiseitig
rot eingefärbten Beton Aufzugsschacht mit vorderseitig liniengelagerter Verglasung wurde
eine ebenfalls verglaste Kabine
integriert.
Auftraggeber:
Staatl. Bauamt Würzburg
Fotos: Wolfgang Dürr
Universität Würzburg
Rudolf-Virchow-Zentrum
Klinikum der Universität
München – Großhadern
32 OP-Säle, 70 Intensivbetten für
5 Bereiche, einer Zentralsterilisation,
einem Ambulanten OP-Zentrum
sowie einer interdisziplinär
besetzten Notfallaufnahmestation.
Auftraggeber:
Staatl. Bauamt München 2
Fotos: Rainer Viertlböck
Neubau OP-Zentrum (OPZ)
Neubau Bettenhäuser.
Einrichtung eines Zyklotronbereiches und GMP-gerechten Pharmaziebereichen im Rahmen der Knochenmarktransplantation.
Auftraggeber:
Staatliches Bauamt Würzburg
Unsere über 500 qm großen Werkstatträume befinden sich im König-Ludwig-Haus und wurden in
der Umbauphase auf den modernsten Stand der
Technik gebracht. Hier stellen wir Hilfsmittel in
den neuesten Fertigungsverfahren unter
optimalen Bedingungen her.
Orthopädietechnik
• Prothesen
• Orthesen
• Korsette
• Kinderorthopädie
Sanitätshausartikel
• Kompressionstherapie
• Bandagen
• Pflegehilfsmittel
„Bauerfeind AG“,
Zeulenroda
Schuhtechnik
• Orthopädische Schuhzurichtungen
• Orthopädische Einlagen nach Maß
• Diabetisch adaptierte Fußbettung
• Individuelle Fußdruckmessung
• Therapieschuhe
Reha-Technik
• Rollstühle
• Rollatoren
• Pflegebetten
• Hilfen für Bad & WC
Fotos: Wolfgang Dürr
Julius-MaximiliansUniversität Würzburg
Zentrum innere Medizin
Die technische Orthopädie ist durch die Betreuung der Orthopädischen Uniklinik König-Ludwig-Haus in Würzburg Mittelpunkt unseres Unternehmens. Neben der klinischen
Orthopädie betreuen wir auch sämtliche Fachsprechstunden der Poliklinik.
Unsere Filialen:
Betz ■ Flöhl ■ Wolfstädter
Beethovenstraße 5A ■ 97080 Würzburg
Telefon: 49 (0)931/79 42 – 0 ■ Telefax: 49 (0)931/79 42 – 50
www.abi-ingenieure.de
Efinger Orthopädietechnik GmbH
Orthopädietechnik und
Orthopädie-Schuhtechnik:
im König-Ludwig-Haus
Brettreichstraße 11
97074 Würzburg
Zweigniederlassung
Würzburg:
Bismarckstraße 16
97080 Würzburg
Zweigniederlassung
Volkach:
Prof.-Jäcklein-Straße 1
97332 Volkach
Efinger Reha-Technik GmbH
Berner Straße 10
97084 Würzburg
www.efinger-ot.de
ED I T ORIA L
Ladies and gentlemen,
Friends of König-Ludwig-Haus,
Initiating this anniversary publication was a pretty easy decision. The
management team – Michaela Bach, Harald Schlögel and myself – immediately realised that we could produce something of long-lasting value that
would bring memories back to life.
And so it looks both to the past and to the future.
100 years seems an ideal occasion to recap all that
has happened. When looking back, some things
remain lost in the fog of history and will probably
never see the light of day again. Some things were
lost to fire on 16 March 1945. But, thanks to the
unremitting persistence of the Commercial Director,
we have succeeded in bringing to light other things
that have long gone unnoticed.
In fact, Germany’s oldest orthopaedic hospital was
built in Würzburg exactly 200 years ago. In addition to the world-famous
Conrad Röntgen, we look back at famous figures in orthopaedics such as
Heine, Hoffa, Biesalski, Schanz and Drehmann.
We have spared no effort in documenting the history of König-LudwigHaus and Würzburg orthopaedics. By presenting you with this publication, I want to remind you of the tireless efforts of every hospital staff
member. Without the care and relief they provide to patients every day,
PHOTO: PRIVATE
this publication would not have been possible.
Professor Maximilian Rudert
Medical Director
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Floor plans of König-Ludwig-Haus from 18 December 1915. Printed with kind permission of the Stadtarchiv Würzburg (Würzburg City Archive), BA ä. R . shelf number 459
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Words of welcome
I
n 1916, Würzburg’s Orthopaedic Clinic König-Ludwig-Haus was inaugurated by its namesake, the monarch himself. Today, the District of Lower Franconia
can look back with pride and pleasure at 100 years of an
institution that has been so significant for the region. As
Bavarian State Minister for Health, I would like to mark
this anniversary with my wholehearted congratulations.
Germany regards Würzburg as the cradle of orthopaedics, and the treatment of the musculoskeletal system has
played an important role in the city for around 200 years.
Thanks to the initiative of Professor Jakob Riedinger –
its first medical director and professor of orthopaedics –
and an association that particularly focused on caring for
physically disabled people, the renowned König-LudwigHaus specialist hospital was formally opened less than
one year after construction began.
From the outset, the Department of
Orthopaedics ensured close links between the hospital and Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg – another
reason for the institution’s great reputation. König-Ludwig-Haus remains
an indispensable part of the extensive
medical facilities in the Free State of
Bavaria. Bavaria has always given its full support to the
hospital’s expansion, and the state government provided
26 million euros for its most recent modernisation and
extension measures.
As it enters its second century, the hospital will be
further enhanced by a centre for mental health, which
has also received 17 million euros in state funding.
But this is merely the external framework. Healing
and relief from suffering can only be achieved when doctors, nurses, caregivers and all other hospital workers get
involved and devote their expertise and empathy to their
patients. On the anniversary of the Orthopaedic Clinic
König-Ludwig-Haus, I would like to thank all of these
people from the bottom of my heart. I wish the hospital
every success over the next 100 years!
Melanie Huml MdL
Bavarian State Minister for Health
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T
he word “century”, i.e. a period of one
hundred years, derives from the Latin
word root “cent” which means “one hundred”. 100 is an exceptional number reserved
for exceptional phenomena. After all, there’s
a reason we talk of “the summer of the century” or “the wine of the century”. And we
can also call König-Ludwig-Haus “the hospital of the century”.
Opened exactly 100 years ago during
the turmoil of the First World War, KLH’s
history reflects every event that has shaped
the last hundred years: war and peace, destruction and restoration, doubt and hope.
But, above all, the firm belief in technological progress and
the will to achieve medical excellence.
As President
of the Lower
Franconia District Assembly, I
am delighted that
König-Ludwig-Haus has reached its 100th
birthday. Würzburg has always made orthopaedic history, and KLH is one of its legendary cornerstones. In 1923, a difficult period
saw the District of Lower Franconia assume
responsibility for the hospital and transform
it into one of Southern Germany’s largest
specialist orthopaedic facilities. This brave
and far-sighted decision earned the district
its own place in medical history.
History never stands still, and the same
goes for König-Ludwig-Haus. The enormous construction site that can currently be
found on the hospital’s premises indicates
the desire for the District of Lower Franconia to continue its strong support for outstanding medical achievements: outstanding
achievements for the hospital of the century.
Erwin Dotzel
President of the Lower Franconia District
Assembly
T
he 100th anniversary of König-Ludwig-Haus is
a chance for the City of Würzburg to show its
joy and gratitude. As mayor, I would therefore like
to express my warmest congratulations on this proud
occasion.
O
Würzburg reaps many benefits from housing one
of Germany’s largest orthopaedics hospitals. As a maximum-care hospital for the diagnosis and treatment of
conditions and injuries affecting the musculoskeletal
system – now widespread diseases in our ageing society
– König-Ludwig-Haus plays an indispensable role in
the provision of local medical care to the people of
Würzburg and Lower Franconia. Steeped in tradition,
the Department of Orthopaedics has also played its
part in the hospital’s reputation as an expert training
ground where many notable
physicians launched their
careers and an internationally acclaimed research institution that is successfully
continuing Würzburg’s impressive past as the “cradle
of orthopaedics”. The close
interaction between the
hospital and researchers
ensures that scientific findings are quickly applied to
day-to-day practice to provide the highest level of care.
For the last century, König-Ludwig-Haus
has been uniting state-of-the-art, customised
patient care with internationally renowned
research. Its origins – and its close interaction
with our university – date back another 100
years to 1816, when Johann Georg Heine
founded the first orthopaedic institute. This
later became the Karolinen-Institut, and was
famous far beyond its regional borders. In
1824, Heine – who is considered the founder
of German orthopaedics –
was named “Demonstrator
of Orthopaedic Machines
and Medical Faculty Assessor” by Alma Julia. 20 years
later, in 1844, his nephew
Bernhard was appointed
Germany’s first Professor of
Orthopaedics at the University of Würzburg. One of his
successors, Professor Jakob Riedinger, took the
existing institution and founded König-Ludwig-Haus, which serves as the JMU teaching
hospital to this day and houses the Department
of Orthopaedics. The recently announced
Centre for Movement Research at “KöLu” is
another milestone in its journey.
The District of Lower Franconia regularly invests
large sums in updating the premises and equipment
at König-Ludwig-Haus and is currently working to
fill a looming gap in regional care provision through
the “Centre for Mental Health”. I would like to thank
the district for its extensive medical, social and cultural commitment to Würzburg, which has strengthened the city as a regional centre and benefits people
throughout the region.
I wish everyone working at König-Ludwig-Haus
every happiness and success over the next 100 years
in their efforts to provide effective support to the sick
and wounded.
Christian Schuchardt
Mayor of the City of Würzburg
n behalf of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, I send my heartfelt congratulations to the König-Ludwig-Haus and to
all those who research, teach and work at the
hospital on this, its 100th birthday.
Today, the orthopaedic hospital offers a
comprehensive range of diagnoses and therapies – from all kinds of orthopaedic diseases
and paediatric orthopaedics to sports medicine, endoprosthetics for age-related diseases
and much more – that incorporate the latest
findings from basic and applied research to aid
the recovery of patients and the progress of orthopaedic medicine worldwide. I wish KönigLudwig-Haus and all who work there every
success in the future!
Prof. Dr. Alfred Forchel
President of Julius-Maximilians-Universität
Würzburg
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WHERE ORTHOPAEDICS
LEARNED TO WALK
200 years of orthopaedics in Würzburg –
The history of orthopaedics is impressive – from
its origins to the present day
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OUR TEAM 2016
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BONE AND CARTILAGE
IN VITRO
At the Orthopaedic Centre for Musculoskeletal
Research in the Department of Orthopaedics
at König-Ludwig-Haus
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MODERN NURSING:
PLENTY OF IMPROVEMENT,
AND PLENTY LEFT TO DO
A discussion with Michaela Bach,
Director of Care at König-Ludwig-Haus,
and her predecessor Marlies Mechmann
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ALWAYS ON THE GO
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PHOTOS: WEISSBACH; MELANIE SCHMIDT; PRIVATE
Hospital Director Harald Schlögel
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KÖNIG-LUDWIG-HAUS,
A MONUMENT
TO ITS TIME
Content
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“THE ELDERLY ARE
OUR FUTURE”
Hundred years of König-Ludwig-Haus –
An interview with Professor Jochen Eulert
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CREATING A BRAND
In König-Ludwig-Haus, Professor Maximilian
Rudert has found his ideal hospital
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SICOT:
A GLOBAL ORTHOPAEDIC
NETWORK
Every year members from 110 countries meet
at specialist congresses around the world
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PHYSIOTHERAPY: MANY
ROUTES TO SUCCESS
Only physiotherapy can turn a perfect operation
into successful treatment
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IN THIS HOSPITAL
THE FOOD TASTES
LIKE HAUTE CUISINE
Every day, chef Fabian Beck and his team
feed at least 200 people:
the patients and staff of König-Ludwig-Haus
The 100-year-old hospital is changing
its image once again
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200 Years of Orthopaedics in Würzburg
Where
Orthopaedics
learned to
walk
Orthopaedists work true miracles. Given their accomplishments in this field,
biblical references are not unwarranted. It is therefore appropriate at
this point to quote from the Gospel of John, wherein Jesus said the words
unto a lame man and healed him: “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk!”
Admittedly, no patient is discharged from modern orthopaedics departments
quite as quickly as in the Jerusalem of old, but the outcomes are often
no less impressive. Equally as impressive is the history of orthopaedics –
from its origins to the present day.
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
By Karl Luger
At the German Orthopaedic History and Research Museum in Frankfurt am Main
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Bernhard Heine (1800 – 1846)
PHOTOS: WEISSBACH; PRIVATE
Physician, bone specialist and inventor of the osteotome
1830. Bernhard Heine invents a bone cutter and calls it the osteotome
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T
hroughout the nearly 200-year history of orthopaedics, Würzburg has played a prominent role.
The term “orthopaedics” itself, however, was coined
by a Frenchman. In 1741, the physician Nicolas
Andry de Boisregard published a book for parents:
“L’orthopédie ou l’art de prévenir et de corriger dans
les enfants les difformités du corps.” Shortly thereafter,
in 1744, the German translation appeared in Berlin
the Black Forest and was known also to behave rather
strangely on occasion had been on the road as a journeyman for ten years. During his travels, he gathered a
range of theoretical and manual experience from anatomists and surgeons. Soon after settling in Würzburg,
he received his citizenship, married and showcased his
skill as an instrument maker. In 1802, he was hired
by the university. There, among other projects, Heine
worked on mechanical solutions designed to compensate for clubfeet and deformational curvatures of the
spinal column. In 1816, Johann Georg Heine founded
an orthopaedic sanatorium in a former monastery –
the first of its kind in a German-speaking country. In
1822, he was granted permission to change the name
of his private clinic to “Karolinen-Institut”, named after the wife of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria.
Johann Georg Heine
(1771 – 1838)
The historical postcard shows the Heine monument at
Würzburg‘s main cemetery
under the title “Orthopädie oder die Kunst, bei Kindern die Ungestaltheit des Leibes zu verhindern und
zu verbessern” [English: “Orthopedics or the art of
preventing and correcting deformities of the body in
children”]. Nicolas Andry combined the Greek words
“orthós” (straight, upright, correct) and “paideia”
(rearing of children). And it was in the Swiss town of
Orbe, not Würzburg, where the world‘s first orthopaedic institute opened its doors in 1770.
In 1798, Johann Georg Heine (1771–1838) arrived in the “cathedral city”. This resourceful, highly
talented knife-making apprentice who hailed from
PHOTOS: PRIVATE
First orthopaedic sanatorium
in a German-speaking country
The first orthopaedic sanatorium in a German-speaking country in the former monastery ”Stephanskloster“
in Würzburgs‘s city centre next to St. Stephan‘s Church which still exists today.
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Heine earned even more laurels when the University of Jena conferred an honorary doctor title upon him
in 1823. And one year later, the University of Würz-
Bernhard Heine’s osteotome
creates a furore worldwide
burg elevated him to “Demonstrator of Orthopaedic
Mechanical Engineering and Assessor of the Medical
Faculty” (or, in modern parlance, simply a teacher of
orthopaedics). However, somewhere along the line, Heine appears to
have lost his way. At loggerheads
with colleagues and relatives, he
left Würzburg in 1828 to set up an
“Orthopaedic Seaside Sanatorium”
in the Dutch city of Scheveningen.
Josef Anton Mayer
(1793 – 1860)
Following Heine’s departure, Johann Georg’s
nephew Bernhard Heine (1800 –1846) took over the
running of the “Karolinen-Institut”. As a 10-year-old,
his uncle had already trained him up in the art of orthopaedic engineering and, at the University of Würzburg, Bernhard Heine was able to expand and deepen
his knowledge. In particular, he identified the possibilities of operating on deformed bone and studied ways
to improve bone surgery. The osteotome, an instru-
PHOTOS: PRIVATE; WEISSBACH
German Orthopaedic History and
Research Museum in Frankfurt am Main
ment he invented that allows bones to be cut without
the need for a hammer and chisel, received worldwide
acclaim. Twice he was awarded the distinguished Monthyon prize in Paris. In 1836, an honorary doctor title
was conferred upon him in Würzburg, and in 1838
he was named honorary professor by the University
of Würzburg for orthopaedics and surgical techniques
using the osteotome he invented. Würzburg was the
first German institution of higher learning to have a
chair for orthopaedics. His appointment in 1844 as
associate professor for experimental physiology was yet
another mark of the high regard in which Bernhard
Heine was held. A year later, however, he developed
lung tuberculosis and had to stop his work. He died at
the young age of 46 in Switzerland.
Already before Heine’s death, however, another orthopaedic surgeon had established himself in Würzburg. Josef Anton Mayer (1793 –1860) was born in
the Lower Franconian city of Hassfurt and studied
medicine at the Julius University, after which he
worked for almost four years as a resident physician at
the Juliusspital hospital. After earning his doctoral degree in Giessen, he opened an orthopaedic sanatorium
in 1826 – “self-funded with my own modest means”,
as he described in his own words. As both a physician
and scientist, Mayer can certainly be ranked among
the best and brightest minds of his time. In particular,
he was among the first physicians in Europe to perform osteotomy and tenotomy procedures. Despite
this, he failed in his application to head the “Karolinen-Institut” after the death of Bernhard Heine and,
in 1859, retired from professional life.
View of Würzburg’s Sanderau quarter from Frauenland quarter.
König-Ludwig-Haus seems to not have existed on this undated postcard.
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Albert Hoffa
(1859 – 1907)
It would be another 30 years before the city
of Würzburg would once again make its mark on
the history of orthopaedics. In 1883, Albert Hoffa
(1859 –1907) had started work as a resident physician
at the Julius Hospital. Soon after receiving his doctorate in 1886, he specialised in orthopaedics and traumatology. Thanks to his untiring quest for knowledge
and prolific output of textbooks, he left his mark on
the still-nascent discipline like perhaps no other. In
1892, together with some of his pupils, he founded
the “Zeitschrift für orthopädische Chirurgie”, a journal for orthopaedic surgery, and, in Berlin in 1901, he
founded the “Deutsche Orthopädische Gesellschaft”
(German Orthopaedic Society) with a number of prominent colleagues from Königsberg, Berlin, Vienna,
Breslau and Dresden. As early as 1887, he had opened
a highly successful, state-of-the-art private clinic in
Würzburg. And something else that is worth mentioning is that Hoffa was the first to recognise the importance of X-rays in orthopaedics. In 1902, he accepted
an appointment as professor for orthopaedics at the
Charité hospital in Berlin. His successor in Würzburg
was Jakob Riedinger (1861–1917), who was pivotal
in establishing König-Ludwig-Haus (KLH), which
opened in 1916. This clinic heralded an entirely new
chapter in the orthopaedic history of Würzburg.
What would people in earlier times think about
medicine today when looking at KLH? Back then,
the lame and the crippled as well as the deaf and
the blind were considered pariahs. A disability was a
punishment – for whatever crime. “Rabbi, who has
sinned? He himself? Or have his parents sinned such
that he was born blind?”, Jesus’ disciples ask him upon
encountering a blind man. And even centuries later,
it was thought that man must not change what God
created – not even deformed bone and joints. It took
a long time before orthopaedics was able to walk on
its own two feet, so to speak. It was in Würzburg that
orthopaedics took its first critical baby steps and learned to walk. And it is in Würzburg that orthopaedics
◆
is now walking into the future!
PHOTOS: PRIVATE
Thanks to his untiring quest for knowledge
and numerous textbooks, Albert Hoffa left
his mark on the still-nascent discipline
Two illustrations of Hoffa’s surgical orthopaedic sanatorium on Friedenstraße in Würzburg,
which was destroyed during World War II.
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World-class researchers in Würzburg
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen
Inventor of the X-ray
Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen
(1845 – 1923)
X-ray image
of the hand
of anatomist
Albert von Kölliker
23 January 1896
W
ürzburg counts quite a
few world-class researchers
among its ranks, most notably
1
physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, whose work has been so
vital to the medical profession.
3
Professor of experimental physics
at the University of Würzburg
1
since 1888, in 1895 he discovered
X-rays – which revolutionised
2
medical diagnoses – while investigating electric gas discharge.
After X-raying his hand almost
by chance, in just a few weeks he
succeeded in producing the first
X-ray image of his wife’s hand. His
2
achievement was honoured with
A small memorial site at Röntgenring 8
in Würzburg pays tribute to this
great researcher.
The site is open to visitors every day
except Sundays.
Telephone +49 931/3511 6002
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3
1 Nobel diploma for W. C. Röntgen
2 Birthplace of W. C. Röntgen
3 Röntgen as Rector
PHOTOS: CITY OF WÜRZBURG
the 1901 Nobel Prize in Physics.
1 Institute of Physics, Würzburg 1892
2 X-ray tube
3 Röntgen as a student and as an elderly man
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PHOTO: WEISSBACH
König-Ludwig-Haus in the fall of 2015
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“
The
elderly
are
our
future
„
Hundred years of König-Ludwig-Haus –
An interview with Professor Jochen Eulert
By Dr. Eva-Suzanne Bayer
Otto Dix (1891–1969), “Prager Straße” (Prague Street), 1920, State Gallery Stuttgart
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A
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1917.
Patients and nurses of the KLH military hospital.
You have to take a close look at the picture to realise how tragic the situation really was.
30.4.1917. Visit from King Ludwig III
t Professor Jochen Eulert‘s home in Würzburg, countering has been largely eradicated. Back then, his
everything is ready and prepared for the contin- hospital was primarily set up to treat and care for, over
gencies of old age. The doorbell and electronic coded months and sometimes years, children and adolescents
lock at the entrance can be reached from a seated po- with incurable disabilities to help them overcome the
sition. A ramp leads from behind the garden gate up challenges of everyday life or find work. Now, legions
to his front door. The lift is located directly behind of grey-haired senior citizens shuffle – pardon – limp
the entrance. It fits a wheelchair and one – admittedly along the hospital corridors. Their working days are
slim – accompanying person. One floor up, the visitor usually long behind them and they seek “a greater
is immediately met by a long table with several chairs quality of life” in old age. A primarily charitable “care
arranged around it and a small but appropriately mo- institution” for handicapped youngsters from mostly
dified kitchen. The view from the room‘s panoramic socially disadvantaged backgrounds has turned into a
window is awe-inspiring.
hospital for people who
Half of the city of Würzare getting older than their
burg is spread out beneath
bones and joints were
one‘s feet. If, one day, his
built for. “The elderly are
legs or some other part of
our future,” comments Johis musculoskeletal syschen Eulert provocatively.
tem should fail him, he
Naturally, more drivers on
can instead explore half
the road means that thethe city with his eyes from
re had been and still are
this vantage point. Altincreased numbers of car
hough Professor Eulert,
accident victims as well as
born in 1943, is as fit as
bone fractures, torn muscthe proverbial fiddle, a
les, ruptured tendons and
lifetime in the field of orinjured joints. The numthopaedics has wised him
ber of minor sport injuup to the need to be preries has increased because
Professor Jochen Eulert
pared for those days when
more and more people are
Medical Director 1986 – 2009
he perhaps isn‘t quite as fit
taking part in sport even
anymore.
into their old age. But
In 2009, Eulert retired as Chief Physician of Kö- what is much more common nowadays is the wear and
nig-Ludwig-Haus and became an emeritus professor tear to the joints and damage caused by decades of sitof orthopaedics at the local Julius-Maximilians-Uni- ting lopsided or unsupported. In addition to diabetes
versität that same year. He held both posts for 23 years; and cardiovascular diseases, back problems and other
not only did he run the hospital during an almost impairments of the musculoskeletal system have long
ten-year period of expansion and reconstruction, but ranked high among the major health problems of our
he also guided it into a new era of medicine. Under his civilization.
aegis, the tasks and possibilities of orthopaedics were
But to return to Jakob Riedinger, who, as Professor
fundamentally transformed, not only in the medical Eulert tells, was shocked by the sheer number of crippsector, but also in terms of the increasing importance les at the turn of the century and the lack of specialised
of economic responsibility.
institutions to care for the countless physically handiIf we could beam the founder of König-Ludwig- capped youngsters. So he started to take the cripples
Haus, Jakob Riedinger (1861–1917), from its ope- “off the street and concentrate their treatment, search
ning ceremony in 1916 into the present, he, like many for work and employment in one hospital”. As early
of his contemporaries, would be at odds to understand as 1891, Riedinger, a former resident physician in the
the world, least of all his own speciality. And that is Surgery Department of the Juliusspital hospital, Würznot only because of medical progress. The suffering – burg, had assimilated the medical engineering institucongenital deformities, scoliosis, infections of the bone te and the affiliated institutional baths and supervised
and joints, clubfoot, rickets, sequelae of poliomyelitis what would later become the “Private Institution for
and bone and joint tuberculosis – he was used to en- Orthopaedic Patients” in Erthalstrasse (in Würzburg‘s
27
Jakob Riedinger (1861 – 1917)
PHOTOS: PRIVATE
Founder of König-Ludwig-Haus
1915 / 1916. Construction of König-Ludwig-Haus, Würzburg
28
29
or even grant them the appropriate financial security.
This made the soldiers all the more reliant on their
skills as tailors, book binders, shoemakers and orthopaedic engineers. In these horrific times, Hans Ritter
von Baeyer (1917–1918) put in a guest appearance as
director of the König-Ludwig-Haus. Unlike several of
his successors, he had already earned his post-doctoral
degree and had been running the orthopaedics department at the “Links der Isar” hospital in Munich since
1911. After just a year, he left Würzburg to accept a
“much better post” (Eulert) he was offered by the
Heidelberg Faculty to set up the Schlierbach Orthopaedics Department. However, in the 20th century,
the fortunes of research and politics were becoming
increasingly interwoven. Because some of his grandparents were Jews, the highly skilled Baeyer was driven
from his office and teaching post in 1933. He then ran
his own practice in Düsseldorf until his death in 1941.
Such was his fate, and many of his professional contemporaries (many Jews were in the practice of medicine, with many specialising in orthopaedics) suffered
similar – and in many cases even worse – fates.
Hans Ritter von Baeyer
PHOTOS: PRIVATE
Frauenland quarter). After his appointment as clinician for surgery and orthopaedics, he added an orthopaedic workshop to the clinical facilities. In 1910, he
was one of the co-founders of the “Unterfränkischer
Verein für Krüppelfürsorge e.V.”, a Lower Franconian
association for the crippled and disabled that, within
just a few years, had collected so much money that it
was able to purchase Riedinger‘s “Orthopaedic Hospital and Institution for Cripples” in 1913. The purchase
agreement showed that Riedinger was not really interested in making a profit: he sold the property, which
was worth over two million, for a mere 153,000 German gold marks. Nowadays, one would say: big heart,
no business sense. But that‘s exactly what makes idealists tick.
Then came World War I. The hospital was repurposed as a military hospital and Riedinger’s plans had
to take back seat to the exigencies of the moment. No
war before – and none thereafter – resulted in anything
like the numbers of wounded and severely wounded,
namely 4.25 million war-disabled in Germany alone
who required above all orthopaedic treatment. Modern
weapons and the advancements taking place in medicine allowed many soldiers who would previously have
died of their injuries to survive. This we know from
early movies, from the pictures of Otto Dix, Georges
Grosz and the graphics of Max Beckmann: young men
mutated into a collage of body remnants and prostheses. The building on Erthalstrasse was too small.
In January 1915, the association acquired property
on Brettreichstrasse, just a few hundred metres away.
In mid-1916, König-Ludwig-Haus – named after the
then Bavarian king Ludwig III – opened its doors.
Riedinger ran his hospital for just a little more than
six months. The great idealist died in 1917 at the age
of just 46. As with many idealists, Riedinger‘s life story
reveals the personal reasons that motivated his altruism. Out of respect for his 17-year-older stepbrother
Ludwig (Ferdinand), later a professor of surgery in
Würzburg, who paid for his studies, he did not marry
the forest ranger‘s daughter with whom he had fathered a son, nor did he accept paternity for the child. His
entire life, he remained a bachelor and devoted himself
to the pursuit of altruism. Up to 1923, König-LudwigHaus, with its 70 beds, had mostly given shelter to war
invalids. Like the young “cripples” of former times, the
war veterans also had to be “taken off the street” (Eulert). As incarnate reminders of a lost war and symbols
of a shamefully degrading defeat, the last thing people
were inclined to do was to celebrate them as war heroes
1917 / 1918. During World War I, König-Ludwig-Haus became a military hospital
30
31
“ Taking
the cripples
off the street and concentrate their
treatment,
search for work
and employment
PHOTO: PRIVATE
in one hospital.”
32
33
Konrad Port
the hospital, he introduced Swedish massages, emphasising the significance of massage and manual healing
methods. And at a personal level, Port, characterised
as a “noble gentleman”, must have made an extremely positive impression. Physicians, staff and patients
praised his cultivated manners, friendly personality
and warm heart.
His successor at the end of 1918 in König-LudwigHaus was Konrad Port (1867–1957), whom many
would have preferred a year earlier over the ambitious
Baeyer. The son of a well-situated doctor‘s family, he
had enjoyed a solid and comprehensive training in
orthopaedics and gynaecology and set up practice
as a surgeon in Nuremberg. Handicapped by X-ray
damage to the hands, he concentrated his work as a
physician more on the conservative than on the operative sector. However, he focused his research activities
on scoliosis, demonstrating the value of X-ray examinations for evaluating the disease.
Much changed at König-Ludwig-Haus under his
aegis. Inflation had pushed the association for the
crippled and disabled into financial difficulty. In response, the forerunner to today‘s regional administration for Lower Franconia took responsibility for
funding the hospital and financed (up to 1927) its
reconstruction and expansion to 200 beds and 100
training places, in the process making König-LudwigHaus one of the largest specialist orthopaedic hospitals in southern Germany. Port mostly concentrated
on the theoretical side of his discipline and orthopaedic technology. In the institutional orthopaedic workshop, he made improvements and modifications to
the antiquated designs of prostheses and orthoses. In
Back in the times of war it made more sense to have an ”iron“ rather than
a ”golden“ guest book for a hospital where many soldiers were treated.
34
1928. Postcard
35
PHOTOS: PRIVATE
36
Leg prostheses that were exhibited in the German Museum for Orthopaedics,
which up to the 1990s was located in the basement of König-Ludwig-Haus.
Today all exhibits can be found in the technological museum in Frankfurt am Main.
After old age forced Port to go into retirement with
emeritus status in 1935, the tides – not in orthopaedics, but in politics – were turning. At 36, Port’s successor Fritz Schmidt (1898 –1963) was, academically
speaking, a blank slate. His physical appearance was
that of a hands-on sunny boy, his Aryan decent was
guaranteed. But he was lacking both a post-doctoral
degree and an inquiring mind. Among other places,
he had studied in Würzburg where he took his state
boards, earned his doctoral degree and trained under
Port. Most importantly of all, however, he had been a
party member since 1933. Back then, that was recommendation enough. One reads that he was an industrious surgeon, albeit without any scientific ambition.
Practically forced to earn his post-doctoral degree in
1940 – otherwise his appointment would not have
been justifiable – he did not go on to publish anything
else. As someone who was politically tainted, he was
forced to quit in 1945. Afterwards, he practiced in
Ansbach and, in response to a polio epidemic, built a
140-bed hospital in Linderlohe near Schwandorf and
also set up an orthopaedics department in Ansbach.
Late in the evening of 16 March 1945, Würzburg
and König-Ludwig-Haus were bombed to rubble.
Patients and staff were evacuated to the St. Ludwig
monastery in Wipfeld. What was needed now was
a hands-on, resolute man, who also, as the occupying powers insisted, had to be politically untainted.
It seems that back then such a person was not easy
to find among German orthopaedic academics. At
any rate, there were many unanswered questions surrounding the appointment of Konrad Niederecker
(1894–1969). As the son of a farmer originally hailing
from Tyrol, he was born in Hungary. He studied in
Budapest, completed his orthopaedic training in Graz
and was chief surgeon at an orthopaedic hospital back
in Budapest. In 1944, he had to flee, settling in Pappenheim in the Altmühl valley where he worked as
chief physician at the local hospital. Niederecker’s call
to Würzburg came almost certainly at the recommendation of the eminent orthopaedic surgeon Hohmann
in Munich, for whom Niederecker was a staff member.
Together with the administrative director of the District of Lower Franconia, Albert Steppacher, and supported by generous donations, he successfully, and in a
very short space of time (by 1948), rebuilt and reorganised König-Ludwig-Haus so that it now offered 260
beds. At the same time, he also qualified as a professor.
Up until his retirement as emeritus professor in 1962,
he had published over 70 scientific articles on subjects
Fritz Schmidt
dealing primarily with the treatment of clubfeet and
flatfeet. “Some things were certainly a step forward,”
Eulert noted, “if not always in the right direction.”
Back then, research and innovation were urgently needed because, under the Nazi regime, Germany had entirely lost touch with international developments.
As he became older, Niederecker, who was always
known to speak in a somewhat “lordly tone”, became
more difficult, uncontrollable, moody, gruffer and
authoritarian. Respected as an indefatigable worker,
he did not make himself any friends by virtue of his
gruff nature, which was diluted only by his Hungarian
charm in his encounters with the fine ladies of society.
In 1969, he died isolated and alone in Gmund, Germany.
Power struggles between politics and academia
marked the appointment of the successor August
Rütt (1918 – 2000). In 1962, the university had been
seeking a “Protestant Berliner” (Witt from West Berlin), but the Bavarian Minister of Education forced a
“Catholic from Cologne” to act on behalf of Lower
Franconia. This made waves that reached as far as the
Hamburg-based journal “Spiegel”, which back then
was more likely to take an interest in Ouagadougou
than Würzburg. No easy initiation for Rütt, who took
over the hospital management and chair in 1962. The
fact that during the 24 years of his period in office he
was able to improve collegiality within the faculty by
introducing social events, as Eulert recalls, is an accomplishment that should not be underestimated.
37
Kaspar Niederecker
The main entrance of König-Ludwig-Haus ...
standing, Frankfurt was the headquarters of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Orthopädie und Orthopädische
Chirurgie (German Society for Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic Surgery, DGOOC) and the Friedrichsheim
hospital provided money for generous facilities and a
public-orientated museum operation. It was for the
good of the collection, Eulert countered, to liberate it
from its local “narrow and stuffy confines.”
PHOTOS: PRIVATE
In the 1960s and 1970s, the field of orthopaedics
had already changed such that its clinical focus had
shifted from conservative to surgical treatment. New
surgical possibilities and the latest techniques – including osteosynthesis procedures and artificial joint
replacement (initially the hip implant in particular) –
as well as the associated, more stringent requirements
regarding asepsis meant that reconstructions and modifications were necessary. Then, in 1983, all training
institutions and workshops for handicapped children
and adolescents affiliated with the hospital up to that
point were closed down or transferred to other institutions. A residential and care home for the physically
handicapped was set up in Jakob-Riedinger-Haus.
As much as Rütt was keen to look ahead to the
future, the history of orthopaedics was – one could
indeed say – a matter close to his heart, too. Under his
management, the “German Orthopaedic History and
Research Museum”, which Niederecker had set up at
the behest of Hohmann in 1959, was expanded within
the premises of König-Ludwig-Haus. This reinforced
– in the eyes of the public, too – Würzburg‘s role in
the founding and evolution of orthopaedics, a perfectly justifiable claim given the accomplishments of the
two Heines as well as of Hoffa and Riedinger. When
Jochen Eulert handed over the entire collection along
with an extensive library, which featured some works
dating back to the 17th century, to the Friedrichsheim hospital in Frankfurt in 1995, where a “House
of Orthopaedics” was planned to be set up, some gave
him a “thorough tongue-lashing” (Eulert). Notwith-
... and the rear view in the 1960s.
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39
When Professor Jochen Eulert took over the running of the hospital in 1986, it did not enjoy a “particularly good reputation” (Eulert): the number of beds
had been reduced to 160 in the face of diminishing
demand, and the hospital had an annual financial
deficit of one million Marks. In contrast, under the
intelligent leadership of L. Hübner and with its quiet
location in the wonderful park landscape around the
palace building of Balthasar Neumann, Werneck was
doing much better than Würzburg. Admittedly, the atmosphere among the patients in König-Ludwig-Haus
was excellent, Eulert would say. As soon as afternoon
came around, things would “start getting really lively”
in the social room located in the middle of the open
men‘s ward with beer, cigarettes and card playing (Eulert). Given the average hospital stay of 35 days, one
could hardly chastise them for their regular evenings
of fun and games. Naturally, such a situation could
not last and was quickly prohibited.
Eulert had studied in Marburg and Bonn and
trained to be a specialist in Paris and Tübingen. The
new technique of arthroscopy that Eulert had imported from the USA represented a “silent revolution in
orthopaedics”. This he announced at his inaugural
lecture, and it applied as much to the overall structure of the medical speciality as it did to clinical procedures. The patients’ hospital stays were dramatically shortened and much of the treatment could be
carried out on an outpatient basis. By 1987, the financial deficit was eliminated and the hospital’s balance
sheet was back in the black. This impressed the district
government and the health insurance funds paid out a
generous bonus. “Anyone in orthopaedics who is not
in the black – in contrast to accident surgery – is doing
something wrong,” Eulert says. Thanks to the latest
methods, the number of operations grew from 1,900
to 3,000 per year, which, in turn, meant that the building had to be modified. Due to the shorter operating times and the growing number of operations,
the hospital needed more operating theatres (which
turned out to become five) and associated facilities.
Over those ten years, during which König-LudwigHaus was gutted bit by bit and totally reconstructed,
the hospital continued to run without interruption.
“We kept on operating late into the night and at the
weekend”, Eulert recalls. To ensure patient care, an
ultramodern interim container ward – the Pavilion
Ward – was built in the inner courtyard of the hospital, where it remained for several years.
In the mid-1990s, Professor Eulert set about implementing his plan to add a major research unit to
the department and König-Ludwig-Haus. The decision to convert departmental posts into research positions was one of the first steps. The initial groundwork
here was laid by Norbert Schütze, the head of one of
the experimental research laboratories. The conversion
of a clinical C3 professorship into a research professorship helped significantly to promote and solidify
future developments. In 2001, Professor Franz Jakob
PHOTOS: MELANIE SCHMIDT; PRIVATE
August Rütt
was appointed to this C3 professorship. Concurrent
with his inauguration, he successfully obtained a grant
from the German Research Foundation to set up a clinical research group – back then the first and only one
of its kind in an orthopaedics department. Focusing
on “osteogenic stem cell differentiation and therapy of
bone loss”, the group of researchers set up the „Orthopaedic Centre for Musculoskeletal Research” in KönigLudwig-Haus; the centre was later institutionalised as
the “Osteology Centre” in König-Ludwig-Haus. This
new research focus inspired the establishment of the
cross-disciplinary “Musculoskeletal Centre Würzburg”
(MCW), in which a number of departments and research institutions affiliated with the Würzburg Faculty of Medicine work collaboratively to more effectively reflect the extraordinary economic, clinical and
scientific importance of musculoskeletal diseases and
injuries. Another cross-disciplinary institution – the
“Würzburg Initiative for Tissue Engineering” (WITE)
– was also established during Professor Eulert‘s time as
head of the department, with the aim of strengthening
this research sector in Würzburg.
The year 2009, when Professor Eulert turned over
the chair for orthopaedics to Professor Maximilian
Rudert, marked a further step forward in the development of orthopaedics in Würzburg. Professor Rudert specialises in tumour orthopaedics as well as minimally invasive total joint replacement and revision
endoprosthetics; and the expansion of this segment of
orthopaedic care is one of the primary objectives for
the coming years.
Professor Jochen Eulert
Nowadays, however, it is no longer (“just”) about
research. Rather, global communication holds the key.
Since 2008, Jochen Eulert has been Secretary General
of SICOT (see article, p. 72).
Professor Maximilian Rudert has been the Medical
Director of König-Ludwig-Haus since 2009 and, as
Chair of the Orthopaedics Department at the JuliusMaximilians-Universität, is responsible for teaching.
Even though this field has undergone major changes
– especially over the past few decades – and the possibilities have grown in dimensions that were previously
deemed pure science fiction, there is still much that
can and must be done.
◆
2010. König-Ludwig-Haus, Würzburg: view of the inner courtyard
40
41
Our Team 2016
100 Years König-Ludwig-Haus Würzburg
Creating
a
brand
In König-Ludwig-Haus, Professor Maximilian Rudert
has found his ideal hospital.
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
By Dr. Markus Mauritz
Professor Maximilian Rudert, Medical Director at König-Ludwig-Haus
and Professor for Orthopaedics at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
44
45
A scientist and a father
It’s not often that somebody
turns down TU Munich. Maximilian Rudert, Medical Director
at König-Ludwig-Haus (KLH)
and professor for orthopaedics at
Julius-Maximilians-Universität
Würzburg since 2009, thinks for a
moment. He gave it some serious
consideration, he says with a smile.
Naturally, he and his wife weighed
up the pros and cons in great depth
before he made his decision. Their
three children also had their say. It is
clear that in the Rudert household,
important decisions are always run
past this five-person committee
first. A highly qualified doctor and
renowned scientist, he is also a husband and father. He and his wife
were aware that such offers only
come along once in a lifetime. But
Würzburg is also unique, he adds
after a moment’s thought. “Here
I have the perfect combination of
a superbly organised hospital and
high-calibre research that, in conjunction with the University Hospital of Würzburg, has extremely
high potential for the future.”
46
Expertise, experience and
a gift for human interaction
Rudert is fresh out of the operating theatre, his white coat still
covering his green scrubs as he sits
in his office relaxing with a cup of
coffee. A coffee not delivered by his
secretary, but made himself with
the espresso machine concealed behind a wall unit. It’s clear that he
has settled into life in Würzburg.
He and his family feel at home in
the venerable cathedral city. Munich definitely came calling too late
for the Ruderts.
And a look back at his very
eventful career suggests that it was
probably high time the 51-year-old
made his home somewhere. Maximilian Rudert studied human
medicine in Munich, Würzburg,
Oxford and Ann Arbor (Michigan/
USA). He received his doctorate in
Tübingen in 1991, and in 2001 he
qualified as a professor of orthopaedics with his work on tissue engineering for articular cartilage.
A PR expert couldn’t have
phrased it better
experience. His key clinical areas
include endoprosthetics, revision
endoprosthetics, tumour orthopaedics and foot surgery. It’s no
surprise that, with this academic
reputation and clinical experience,
Rudert was the ideal candidate for
the faculty in Munich.
But these are not the only factors that make somebody a top
physician. A talent for care and
attention is just as important. And
Rudert makes a very good impression. Patients trust him. This was
most recently demonstrated during
a public interview with Bavaria’s
public broadcasting service, Bay-
erischer Rundfunk, to which he
brought all manner of state-ofthe-art prosthetics for replacing
joints. It may have been somewhat
disquieting for the BR editor, and
he asked whether anyone in the audience had an artificial hip.
A woman at the back promptly
spoke up, revealing herself to be a
former patient of König-LudwigHaus upon whom Rudert had operated five years earlier. “And, are
Patient information event
Würzburg
Clinical focal points
His career also took him to the
Anatomical Institute at Kiel University, the trauma surgery department at St. Vincenz and Elisabeth
Hospital in Mainz, the Clinic for
Orthopaedic Surgery at Hannover
Medical School, the Department of
Orthopaedic Surgery at University
Hospital Tübingen and the Clinic
and Outpatient Clinic for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery in the
aforementioned “Klinikum rechts
der Isar” hospital at TU Munich.
Rudert worked as a chief physician and deputy hospital director
in Tübingen and Munich. When
he came to König-Ludwig-Haus in
2009, aged just 44, he had already gained exceptional operational
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
I
n 2011, Professor Maximilian
Rudert received a very tempting
offer from Munich. The “Klinikum rechts der Isar” hospital was
desperate for him to replace Professor Reiner Gradinger as Head
of Orthopaedics and Sports Orthopaedics in the Bavarian capital.
“I definitely had to mull it over”,
says Rudert, recalling the days and
weeks he spent choosing between
the city on the Main river and that
on the Isar river. TU Munich offered renown, an international reputation and an attractive city. But
all that just wasn’t enough. Rudert
stayed in Würzburg, and Munich
lost out.
47
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
2016 chief physicians’ meeting
48
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König-Ludwig-Haus:
a brand and first port of call
When Rudert began running
the hospital, he quickly introduced
a range of innovations including
an interdisciplinary tumour conference for cancers of the musculoskeletal system. “Bone cancer makes
up around just 1 % of all tumour
diseases, which means that many
medical practitioners know very
little about it”, says Rudert. Because this disease is so rare, “many
doctors seldom get to see it!” The
tumour conference – which is regularly held by the Orthopaedics
Department in the Centre for Internal Medicine at the University
Hospital of Würzburg – brings together specialists from a wide range
of areas, including radiologists,
oncologists, pathologists, surgeons,
radiation therapists and, of course,
orthopaedic surgeons. This enables
quick decisions to be made to ensure optimal treatment. Rudert
emphasises that registered doctors
can of course sign their patients up
for these consultations via KönigLudwig-Haus.
In 2013, König-Ludwig-Haus
became one of the first hospitals
in Bavaria to be certified as a max-
imum-care endoprosthetics centre.
This confirms that the hospital,
which operates under the District
of Lower Franconia, has achieved
the highest possible quality in the
use and replacement of artificial
joints. More than 4,000 surgical
procedures are performed here each
year for all orthopaedic conditions,
and over 20,000 patients are treated in various special orthopaedic
appointments.
König-Ludwig-Haus
always
keeps pace with the times, not least
because the hospital and the Department of Orthopaedics at the
University of Würzburg are run by
the same people. This was agreed
by the District and the Free State
in a state contract back in 1960.
Annual hospital rankings
always name König-LudwigHaus among the country’s
top facilities
For a few years now, KönigLudwig-Haus has also housed the
“Musculoskeletal Centre Würzburg”, an extremely successful research institution whose findings
are directly incorporated into
patient care. “We have created a
scientific environment whose possibilities extend beyond those of
most German university cities”,
Rudert says.
In addition to this scientific
aspect, Rudert is thrilled by the
achievements of his colleagues
working in medical, care and physiotherapy roles. Of around 1,000
hospitals, a nationwide survey by a
major health insurance fund placed
König-Ludwig-Haus among the
country’s top facilities. And the
annual hospital rankings produced
by a Munich-based news magazine
regularly list it as one of Germany’s
top institutions.
Maximilian Rudert considers
every branch of orthopaedics
So what’s next? What will the
next 10, 15 years bring? Maximilian Rudert relaxes back into his
chair. “I want to make König-Ludwig-Haus a brand”, he says quietly
but confidently. “König-LudwigHaus should be a brand like the
Endo Hospital in Hamburg.”
He adds, however, that this is
not an easy task. The Europe-wide
trend for specialisation cannot be
ignored. A hospital’s image is often
linked to a very specific medical service, one hospital leading the field
in knee replacements while another
focuses on the shoulder joint. This
is not the route Rudert envisages
for König-Ludwig-Haus. He wants
his hospital to have a broad range
of expertise, and considers “every
branch of orthopaedics”. Whether
consulting with his family or running the hospital, Professor Rudert
is a team player.
◆
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
you satisfied?” the journalist asked.
A PR expert couldn’t have phrased
it better: “I’m completely happy,
and I’ve had no pain at all since the
day of my operation!” the woman
exclaimed. A few moments later, a
woman in the first row confirmed
orthopaedics’ status as a hot topic
when she rather abruptly got up to
take a closer look at the exhibits on
the table. Her interest in the replacement joints was explained by
her upcoming surgery. In KönigLudwig-Haus? Of course! By Professor Rudert? Who else?
Inauguration of the new operating theatre in 2016 (from left: Professor Maximilian Rudert,
President of the Lower Franconia District Assembly Erwin Dotzel)
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51
Awards and Certifications
Focus Hospital Ranking 2016
TOP
Focus Physician Ranking 2016 – Professor Rudert –
Orthopaedic Surgery
TOP
N AT I O N A L E S
K R A N K E N H AU S
2016
Associate Professor
Thomas Barthel, MD,
Assistant Medical Director
& Director Sport Orthopaedics and Arthroscopy
Associate Professor Maik
Hoberg, MD, Executive
Senior Physician, Chief Consultant Endoprosthetics
Dr. Christian Kramer,
Senior Physician, Director
Intensive Care and Medical
Controlling
Professor Peter Raab, MD,
Senior Physician and Chief
Consultant for Paediatric Orthopaedics, Spine Orthopaedics and Neuro-Orthopaedics
MEDIZINER
2015
ORTHOPÄDIE
Senior Physician Dr. Martin
Lüdemann, Specialist for
Orthopaedics and Trauma
Surgery
ORTHOPÄDISCHE
CHIRURGIE
DEUTSCHLANDS
GRÖSSTER
KRANKENHAUSVERGLEICH
König-Ludwig-Haus was awarded for its quality in medicine and nursing. According to the latest German weekly
newsmagazine’s “Focus Hospital Ranking 2016”, the clinic
ranks among the best hospitals in Germany as far as the
treatment of orthopaedic symptoms, in particular endoprostheses (artificial joints) are concerned.
Senior Physicians at König-Ludwig-Haus
TOP
2016
MEDIZINER
ORTHOPÄDISCHE
CHIRURGIE
DEUTSCHLANDS
RENOMMIERTE
ÄRZTELISTE
Once again and for the fourth time, Professor Rudert is
ranked on the Focus Physician Ranking in the category
knee and hip joint surgery.
Focus Physician Ranking 2016 – M. Walcher, MD –
Foot Surgery
TOP
2016
MEDIZINER
Professor Andre Steinert,
MD, Senior Physician
Endoprosthetics and
Executive Senior Physician
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Orthopaedics
Matthias Walcher, MD,
Senior Physician and
Head of Ankle Joint
Surgery
Senior Physician Piet
Plumhoff, Shoulder
and Elbow Surgery
FUSSCHIRURGIE
Stephan Reppenhagen,
MD, Senior Physician
Sport Orthopaedics and
Arthroscopy
For the first time, M. Walcher, MD, is ranked on the Focus
Physician Ranking in the category foot surgery.
The heads of König-Ludwig-Haus (from right to left:
Professor Maximilian Rudert, Harald Schlögel, Hospital
Director, and Michaela Bach, Director of Nursing) accepted
the award.
Maximum-Care Endoprosthetics Centre
CCC – Comprehensive Cancer Centre Mainfranken
Stefan Schroll,
Ward Management Hoffa
Claudia Schödl, Ward
Management Agnes Karll
Andrea Flegler,
Head of Polyclinic
Monika Köhler,
Ward Management Heine
Edda Gallena,
Head of X-Ray
The Comprehensive Cancer Centre Mainfranken is internationally renowned for the excellent treatment of tumour
diseases in the Oncological Centre of the University Clinic
Würzburg or at one of our cooperation partners.
Ward and functional managers
Würzburg’s König-Ludwig-Haus is the first hospital in
Bavaria and the third hospital in Germany to be certified
as a maximum-care endoprosthetics centre.
Quality Management
Helga Höger,
Ward Management Dautry
52
Bert Fascher, Assistant
Director of Nursing and
Hygiene Specialist
Thorsten Büchner, Director
Intensive Care Unit (IMC)
Brigitte Kuhn,
Director Physiotherapy
Thomas Hollenberger,
Director Operating Theatre
FOTOS: WEISSBACH; PRIVAT
Osteological Centre – DVO
Osteology as a clinical focus is certified at the University
Würzburg pursuant to the guidelines of the Umbrella Organisation for Osteology (Dachverband Osteologie, DVO).
König-Ludwig-Haus in certified under DIN EN ISO 9001:2008.
KLH’s comprehensive quality management is continuously
developed and offers our patients the highest possible
degree of treatment security and medical competence
through preventive risk management, clearly defined
workflows, treatment goals and responsibilities.
53
From
operating
theatre
lecture
theatre
to
By Michaela Schneider
M
edical science is borne from
the needs of patients. And
an orthopaedics department without case studies would be unthinkable”, says Professor Maximilian
Rudert. For the Medical Director
of König-Ludwig-Haus, research,
everyday clinical work and teaching
simply cannot be seen in isolation.
“Orthopaedics Würzburg” is an
umbrella term that encompasses
the Department of Orthopaedics
(part of the Faculty of Medicine
at Julius-Maximilians-Universität
Würzburg), König-Ludwig-Haus
orthopaedic hospital (operating
under the District of Lower Franconia) and the Orthopaedic Centre
for Musculoskeletal Research.
tion: Since König-Ludwig-Haus
was founded in 1916, Professors
have also served as Chief Physicians, looking after patients’ orthopaedic care. Rudert is the eighth
person to take on this role. The
first, Jakob Riedinger, was granted
permission to teach “orthopaedics
and mechanotherapy” in August
1901. In 1913, he was appointed
Associate Professor at the University of Würzburg as planned. Three
Practice in the operating theatre
Interlinking teaching
and daily hospital life
Rudert has been Professor for
Orthopaedics since 2009; in practice, this means spending mornings
in the operating theatre as Chief
Physician, and afternoons in the
lecture theatre as a professor. This
close connection has a long tradi-
PHOTOS: WEISSBACH
“
and a half years later, König-Ludwig-Haus was opened and Riedinger was named Medical Director.
There can be no doubt that integrating the department into the hospital was the only way to establish
a cross-regional higher education
institution for maximum orthopaedic care that remains the face of
orthopaedics research and teaching
at the University of Würzburg to
this day. Quite simply because
teaching and science, and teaching
and daily clinical life provide one
another with constant enrichment.
A long education
Between 160 and 170 aspiring
physicians are trained in Würzburg
each semester. It’s a long road for
the students. Six years of medical
studies are followed by equally long
training to specialise in orthopaedics and trauma surgery – if they
opt for this field – including two
practical years on hospital wards,
the intensive care ward and the
emergency department.
◆
Theory in the lecture theatre
54
55
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
Everything is under control, thanks also to modern technology
56
57
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
High-Tech operating theatre at König-Ludwig-Haus
58
59
Bone and
cartilage
in vitro
At the Orthopaedic Centre for Musculoskeletal Research,
in the Department of Orthopaedics at König-Ludwig-Haus
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
Cell research and material research form the basis for in-vitro tissue cultivation, i.e. tissue engineering.
60
61
R
esearch is the continuation stetricians, however, learned sur- University Hospital, for example,
of curiosity by other means,” gery as a trade. Whereas research with the cancer research departthe German Chemistry Professor into other medical disciplines had ment. “At the turn of the new milHans-Jürgen
Quadbeck-Seeger started much earlier, the field of lennium, Würzburg, along with a
once said. In the early 19th cen- surgery had to fight to earn its aca- few other universities, assumed a
tury, it was indeed this curiosity demic status at universities.
pioneering role; many later folloin the Heine family of researchers
wed suit, similarly appointing their
that laid the essential groundwork Millions of people suffer from own research managers,” Professor
in Würzburg for an entirely new osteoporosis or osteoarthritis
Jakob recalls. In 2001, he himself
discipline in medicine: orthopaewas appointed to the post of a C3
dics. Würzburg’s scientists remain
In the early 1990s, Professor professor for experimental and clicuriosity-driven to this day – even Jochen Eulert made a very cri- nical osteology.
though they no longer tinker on tical contribution when he was
In that same year, the Deutsche
surgical instruments like the osteo- Professor for Orthopaedics and Forschungsgemeinschaft
(Gertome. Instead, they now grow bone Chief Physician. Back then, a plan man Research Foundation, DFG)
in test tubes, study the
granted the Würzregeneration of cartiburg-based researchers
lage, explore options to
funding for a clinical
slow down the rate of
research group. Meanbone loss and osteopowhile, politicians have
rosis and work on the
also come to acknowdevelopment of pipeledge the importance
line drugs. These are
of research into musthe areas pursued at
culoskeletal diseases.
the Orthopaedic CenIn light of demogratre for Musculoskelephic trends, more retal Research, which is
cent studies anticipate
integrated in the De– according to the
partment of OrthopaeInternational Osteodics at König-Ludwigporosis
Foundation
Team meeting in the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research
Haus, established in
– that the number of
2001.
osteoporosis patients
“The surgical disciplines were emerged to assimilate his own re- in Europe will increase fourfold by
the long-neglected stepchild of research unit with the department 2025, from currently around 28
search,” notes Professor Franz Ja- and König-Ludwig-Haus – for the million to 34 million sufferers.
kob, reminiscing about its history. simple reason that a surgeon hardly
In 2007, the Health Research
The university professor for clinical gets the opportunity to do research Council of the German Federal
and experimental osteology has when he spends all day performing Ministry of Education and Rebeen the Director of the orthopae- surgery in the operating theatre. search published their “Roadmap”,
dic centre since 2001. Historically, To this end, a laboratory manager‘s drawn up to provide guidance on
the fact that the field of surgery has position and, later, a C3 professor- addressing the major health rebeen neglected for so long can be ship were converted into a research search issues for the coming years.
explained by the German elite‘s professorship. In 2009, Professor Professor Jakob held a supervisory
disdain for manual labour – after Maximilian Rudert became the role during its drafting. For the first
all, the word simply means “done new Professor for Orthopaedics, time, joint and bone diseases were
by hand”. Up into the 19th cen- succeeding Professor Eulert. He included as their own segment in
tury, only physicians specialising promotes the further development the public research grant.
in internal medicine received aca- of the research centre in KönigIn Würzburg, this new prioridemic training. Barber surgeons, Ludwig-Haus and, above all, inter- tisation is evident in the interdiswound doctors, feldshers and ob- disciplinary cooperation within the ciplinary “Musculoskeletal Centre
PHOTOS: WEISSBACH
“
Professor Franz Jakob heads the Centre for Musculoskeletal Research
62
63
“The surgical
disciplines
were the long-neglected
stepchild
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
of research”
The proximity to the operating theatres enables clinic-associated basic research into cell cultivation.
64
65
We can achieve a lot
with prevention
But what are Würzburg’s researchers working on? Some examples are described below. First,
let‘s take a look at the joint research
project on “Muscular atrophy (sarcopenia) and osteoporosis – consequences of limited regeneration
in the elderly” („Muskelschwund
(Sarkopenie) und Osteoporose –
Folgen eingeschränkter Regeneration im Alter“, FORMOsA). This
is where various research projects
on age-associated muscular atrophy come together – from basic
research to drug development. The
merger is funded by the Bavarian
Research Foundation. As has been
demonstrated, the initial signs of
sarcopenia become manifest in the
last decade of work. Absent any
prevention or treatment, the sufferer is at risk of becoming an invalid
intensively on detecting muscle
and bone problems as early as possible. In this context, Jakob believes
that prevention is something that
can also be achieved in conjunction
with employers or sports clubs, for
example.
And his team is also motivating
industry to help drive the development of measuring instruments for
early detection.
Once diseases have progressed,
sport and exercise are no longer
sufficient to compensate for de-
Stem cells under the microscope
in old age. Numerous citizens of
Würzburg have been examined to
see if they carry the risk of developing muscular atrophy.
“We know now what huge
progress we can achieve with prevention,” says Professor Jakob.
Therefore, researchers are working
ficits. This is one of the reasons
why the projects in Würzburg are
working on – also within the scope
of FORMOsA – new therapeutic
strategies that put as little strain
as possible on the body. One future aim is to have drugs controlreleased from implants. The design
PHOTOS: WEISSBACH
Würzburg MCW”. Since 2009,
the university‘s and University
Hospital‘s research work on bone,
muscles and joints has been conducted here. Orthopaedists, accident surgeons (led by Professor
Rainer Meffert) as well as dental,
oral and maxillo-facial surgeons
(led by Professor Alexander Kübler) are working jointly on interdisciplinary projects with a range of
other fields – from rheumatology,
endocrinology and neurology to
physical medicine, from paediatrics
to geriatrics. The inaugural event
took place in June 2008 in KönigLudwig-Haus – the hub and birthplace of the research projects. The
facility is funded by the district of
Lower Franconia, the University
Hospital and the Julius-Maximilians-Universität. An estimated 2,500
square meters of space is now home
to research activities, and work
is being carried out here on more
than 50 research projects focusing
on musculoskeletal topics. The objective of the physicians involved
with the MCW is to improve clinical care by driving research forward. Or, in the words of Professor
Jakob: “Clinical routine produces
the questions, research finds the
answers.” And patients also benefit directly from the centre‘s work
because complex cases are managed
in interdisciplinary case conferences and patient consultations.
Using the hydraulic hand dynamometer is as hard as it looks.
66
67
of new pharmaceutical principles is
similar: “High-tech drugs to treat
muscular atrophy are not released
until they reach the target site in
the body when necessary. This
is much kinder to the rest of the
body,” Professor Jakob explains.
The group headed by Professor
Lorenz Meinel from the pharmaceutical department collaborates
closely with the musculoskeletal researchers. The FORMOsA research
work is of great significance, particularly given the increasing life expectancy of the population: surveys
have shown that up to 50 % of over
80-year-olds suffer from muscular
atrophy.
From a common to a rare disease: hypophosphatasia is an inherited metabolic disorder of the
bones caused by a mutation in the
gene that prevents an enzyme from
functioning properly. For many
years, patients suffering from this
disease have been treated at the
paediatric clinic and polyclinic as
well as in König-Ludwig-Haus;
over the years, Würzburg has become Europe’s largest centre for the
treatment of children and adults
with hypophosphatasia. Research
projects focus on gaining a better
understanding of this rare disease
– such as how the enzyme affects
the kidneys, the gastro-intestinal
tract and nervous system. Since the
end of 2014, all the research work
in Würzburg has been conducted
at the newly founded “Centre for
Rare Diseases – Reference Centre
of Northern Bavaria”.
Don’t repair, regenerate
Other major projects ongoing
at the “Orthopaedic Centre for
Musculoskeletal Research” focus
on the regeneration of bone and
cartilage, in keeping with the idea
that regeneration is better than repair. This idea has its origin in the
professorship for “Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine”
established in Würzburg in 2009.
In this discipline, scientists study
new therapies that function on the
basis of autologous materials, mechanisms and healing processes.
Among other projects, the Würzburg-based scientists are collaborating on the large-scale EU project
“VascuBone”, headed by Professor
Heike Walles. Researchers from various countries have developed an
“erector set for bone regeneration”.
The aim is to improve bone implants in ways that lower the risk of
rejection, support endogenous regenerative mechanisms and stimulate neo-osteogenesis. The problem, however, is that only a limited
amount of autologous tissue can be
harvested from the body, which is
why Walles and her departmental
team are cultivating bone in vitro.
Würzburg is also a coordination hub for another international
research project, funded by the EU
to the tune of almost ten million
euro: HydroZones, a project aimed
at healing cartilage defects. The
lead researcher is Professor Jürgen
Groll of the Würzburg Department
for Functional Materials in Medicine and Dentistry. Among other
concepts, the team is working on
the design of implants with a structure similar to that of natural tissue
and that can permanently heal damage to joints.
Würzburg’s scientists are also
setting their hopes on stem cell therapy. This is also an area where the
Musculoskeletal Centre Würzburg
MCW and the two professorships
held by Walles and Groll work in
close collaboration. Among other
things, the researchers are investigating whether therapy with stem
cells could potentially help patients suffering from arthrosis? In
one clinical phase-1 trial, the Orthopaedics Department in KönigLudwig-Haus has already treated
its first patients with this method.
Autologous stem cells harvested
from fatty tissue were cultivated
for a period of two weeks and then
injected into the joint space. These
trials have demonstrated initial
success by alleviating the patients’
pain after just a short time. The
study, funded by the EU with a
total of €12 million, was conducted within the scope of the research
project entitled Adipose Derived
Stromal Cells for Osteoarthritis
(ADIPOA).
In addition to the scientific
evidence itself, patients treated in
König-Ludwig-Haus benefit from
an attractive side-effect: with clinical trials of this kind – 10 to 15
usually run in parallel at the Musculoskeletal Centre – study participants are given access to state-ofthe-art therapeutic interventions at
a very early stage of development.
In this field, too, König-LudwigHaus performs pioneering work
and is the home of a now highly
renowned clinical trial unit headed
by the orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Lothar Seefried. Only with a professionally run unit can the researchbased answers to clinical problems
be tested under routine conditions,
thereby establishing the interface
between clinical practice and research. The recently established
Fraunhofer Translation Centre under the management of Professor
Walles will drive the translation of
scientific evidence forward within
the MCW consortium.
◆
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Waschtische | Accessoires | Barrierefrei | Beschläge
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PHOTO: WEISSBACH
Routine in the polyclinic
70
71
SICOT:
A global
orthopaedic
network
C
ollective intelligence is not
swarm intelligence, i.e. simple
individuals interacting, but intelligent individuals coming together
and interacting to create a superior intelligence.” With these words,
recently deceased German psychologist Peter Kruse got to the core
of scientific networking. And this
is exactly what happened when,
in 1913, leading medics from the
USA, Italy and Austria discussed
the foundation of an international
orthopaedic society. A few more
years would pass before this came
to fruition.
A global organisation with
members from 110 countries
The time finally came on 10 October 1929 in the Hotel Crillon in
Paris. Representatives from Austria,
Belgium, Spain, the USA, France,
Great Britain, Italy, Holland, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland and
what was then Czechoslovakia
launched the Société Internationale de Chirurgie Orthopédique
et de Traumatologie (International
Society of Orthopaedic Surgery
72
and Traumatology), or SICOT for
short.
Almost nine decades later, this
global orthopaedic organisation
boasts members from 110 countries around the world. Lower Franconia plays a major role in shaping
the Society’s skills: Professor Jochen
Eulert (long-time Chief Physician
at König-Ludwig-Haus), was elected Secretary General in 2008, and
Medical Director Professor Maximilian Rudert represents German
interests as the Society’s national
delegate. His main focus is making
contact with orthopaedic surgeons
from around the world.
Congress in Marienberg
Fortress
In this anniversary year, the
SICOT spotlight will shine on
Würzburg even more strongly
when the Society holds its specialist congress in Marienberg Fortress
from 30 June to 2 July. The event
will focus on specialist knee operations, and around 200 people are
expected to attend. In addition to
the main presentations, a special
SICOT World Congress in China, 2015
programme will also be offered for
a further 100 trainees, the next generation of orthopaedic specialists.
Rudert believes the congress will
not only be beneficial from a medical perspective, but also in terms of
tourism. “Very few people around
the world know of Würzburg, but
they have heard of Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen”, he says. He will
use the world-famous physicist to
boost the city’s visibility and harness the orthopaedic expertise at
König-Ludwig-Haus to raise the
hospital’s profile.
The whole world and
the whole profession
PHOTOS: RUDERT
“
But what are SICOT’s objectives? Rudert describes its members
as “people who appreciate orthopaedics and traumatology and want to
maintain a global network”. The Society is supplemented by numerous
regional and national societies –
such as the Deutsche Gesellschaft
für Orthopädie und Orthopädische Chirurgie (German Society
for Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic
Surgery, DGOOC) – and other
organisations specialising in orthopaedic fields. However, what makes
SICOT special is that it covers the
whole world and the whole profession. The Society aims to promote
worldwide science, research and
teaching in orthopaedics and traumatology and drive the exchange of
knowledge between countries and
Dr. Fetih, Prof. Eulert,
Dr. Hingorani, Prof. Rudert
(all from left to right)
73
International exchange
of knowledge
In particular, the annual
SICOT World Congress provides an opportunity for leading
scientists from around the world
and orthopaedics practitioners to
meet and share their knowledge.
In 2014, a large number of members gathered in Brazil and passed
the “SICOT Declaration of Rio
de Janeiro on International Campaign against Bone and Joint Infections”. This joint declaration
aims to draw attention to a global
medical challenge: Bone and joint
infections are still one of the greatest risks in the wake of an operation and can have serious consequences – from multiple follow-up
operations through to amputation
and even the death of the patient.
With this declaration, SICOT is
calling on associations and national
authorities to establish corresponding standards in education, prevention, diagnostics and treatment.
The 2015 Congress took place in
China and, in September 2016,
the world’s leading orthopaedic
surgeons will convene in Rome.
Diverse training activities
SICOT World Congresses focus
in particular on the next generation
of orthopaedic surgeons. The Society has developed numerous fellowship programmes, special training activities and an international
exam in the English language for
this very purpose. This exam consists of written and oral tests, each
of which lasts for two hours . The
two best candidates also receive a
travel grant and are invited to Germany, where they spend four weeks
in Würzburg, Erlangen, Rummelsberg and Berlin getting to know
key specialist centres for orthopaedics and trauma surgery. With up
to 4,000 surgical procedures each
year, including more than 1,300
artificial joint operations, KönigLudwig-Haus (which operates
under the District of Lower Franconia) is one of Germany’s largest
orthopaedic university hospitals.
Visiting doctors from Egypt
König-Ludwig-Haus has also set
up its own fellowship programme.
Doctors from Egypt have been
receiving invitations to spend three
months in Würzburg for some years
now. “Above all, such projects enable countries in a weaker economic position to familiarise themselves with training centres with
the highest standards”, says Professor Rudert. One-sided benefits?
Absolutely not, says the SICOT
national delegate, adding: “Visiting doctors from foreign countries
enhance our reputation, and we benefit by gaining insights into how
hospitals work in other countries.”
Accordingly, each visiting doctor
may give a talk on their country
and a medical field of their choice.
Topics have so far ranged from traffic accidents in Egypt to stem cell
therapy for bone necrosis in India.
also dedicates so much of his time
on an international level. “If I were
not prepared to work more than an
average day, I wouldn’t be sitting
here now”, says Rudert. Training
is a subject particularly close to his
heart, which is why he assumed the
role of Professor for Orthopaedics
in 2009 at Julius-MaximiliansUniversität Würzburg and – at a
national level – heads the Teaching
Work Group of the Deutsche
Gesellschaft für Orthopädie und
Unfallchirurgie (German Society for Orthopaedics and Trauma,
DGOU). “And for me, the subject
of training continues at an international level via SICOT”, he says.
Here, his main focus is assisting
other countries with their training.
Many ideas, many projects
SICOT has plenty of ideas:
Since 2004, the Society has (for
example) opened education centres
in collaboration with universities
and hospitals to set high standards
in orthopaedics and trauma surgery in the countries in question.
So far, SICOT centres have been
set up in Pakistan, Egypt, Russia,
Nigeria, Kenya, India and Oman.
Further programmes include the
aforementioned SICOT diploma,
fellowships, a special e-learning
service and projects for trainees,
such as the summer 2016 event in
Würzburg as part of the SICOT
specialist congress.
◆
A working day is
not based on hours
The only question that remains
is why a doctor who already works
far more than the usual eight hours
PHOTOS: RUDERT
subject areas. To achieve this, it publishes its own journal, “International Orthopaedics”, communicates via platforms such as Facebook
and newsletters, organises regular
congresses and offers its own fellowship programmes.
Dubai, Hyderabad, Rio de Janeiro, Guangzhou
74
75
Modern nursing:
Plenty of
improvement,
and plenty left to do
A discussion with Michaela Bach, Director of Care at König-Ludwig-Haus,
and her predecessor Marlies Mechmann
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
By Dr. Eva Susanne Bayer
A lot was modernised in nursing, but when it comes to measuring blood pressure traditional equipment is used.
76
77
the word “sister” is the second part
of the German compound noun
“Krankenschwester” (nurse) and
often only that second part is used
to address nurses. This isn’t actually
a job title and makes you think of
a nun rather than a nurse. Nuns
may have cared for patients for a
long time, but those days are over.
Since 2004, the official designation
has been Health and Care Worker.
Former Director of Care Marlies
Mechmann and her successor Michaela Bach furthermore explain
that it is no longer appropriate for
female care workers to introduce
themselves as “Nurse” followed by
their first name when meeting patients, contacting doctor’s surgeries
or in other professional situations.
As in other professions, using your
last name is vital in signalling professional distance and commanding respect.
Three-part structure with
equal status for doctors, administrators and care workers
The two women sitting at a table in Marlies Mechmann’s cosy
yet practical Würzburg apartment,
decorated with abstract pictures in
warm tones and boasting a won-
Commitment that pays off: 98 % of patients surveyed are very happy with the care they receive at König-Ludwig-Haus.
derfully large roof terrace, represent
two generations of nursing. It is
not long since Marlies Mechmann
bid farewell to her role as Director
of Care at König-Ludwig-Haus,
but her discipline, assertiveness
and dedication would make her
the ideal candidate to run the as
yet non-existent professional body
that nursing so desperately needs.
Her successor, Michaela Bach, is in
her mid-thirties, with a determined gaze behind her black-framed
glasses. Two refreshingly confident
A job that requires full concentration.
78
PHOTOS: WEISSBACH; MELANIE SCHMIDT
T
he Brothers Grimm forgot
to mention her. But Little
Red Riding Hood’s grandmother
must have had a fantastic nurse in
a starched bonnet standing by her
sick bed: tireless and devoted, benevolent with a hint of strictness;
an innate devotion to her job and
the certainty that God’s grace is the
only reward she needs.
To this day, many people see
nurses and their activities through
a fairy-tale lens. In practice, things
are much different. Staff shortages
and cuts – particularly in patient
care – with constantly increasing
demand, overworking to the point
of burnout (something particularly common in this professional
group), huge responsibility and
poor wages, low status in the eyes
of society and frequent confrontation with emotionally taxing situations, irregular hours and no
general professional body with
compulsory membership that will
assert itself in the interests of its
members. In fact, it’s a miracle that
so many people still choose this
fulfilling and wonderful profession
and vocation.
The difficulties with public perceptions of the nursing profession
in Germany begin with the fact that
women, sharp as tacks, who have
both the skills and determination
to knuckle down and visibly radiate managerial qualities.
Naturally, Marlies Mechmann
has the most to say about developments in the nursing profession
over the last 25 years. When she
assumed her role at König-LudwigHaus on 1 June 1989, nursing
was – as in many other hospitals –
“pretty underprivileged”. Doctors
and nurses, physiotherapists and
lab workers were “not exactly hosPreparation of medicine using the digital patient file.
79
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
Thanks to the introduction of Primary Care, every patient has a personal contact –
that creates security, continuity and transparency.
80
81
82
and fewer nuns, but the image of
care workers as people of monastic
virtue and contentment that has
been popularised throughout the
history of nursing remained rigidly
in place. Mechmann was just the
person to initiate a rethink. Her research had shown that nursing had
a more professional – and therefore
better – status in Anglo-American
countries, and she was still in close
Marlies Mechmann
Director of Care, 1989 – 2015
contact with Professor Eulert (who
joined KLH as Medical Director
in 1986), who soon expressed his
appreciation and support. First of
all, Mechmann initiated collective
discussions on the various activities
performed in the hospital, the exchange of information and regular
contact.
“Primary care” was introduced in König-Ludwig-Haus
in January 2016
Many things have changed in
her 25 years as Director of Care –
some due to new legislation, support programmes, requirements
for greater economic efficiency in
hospitals or totally new management policies (Florence Nightingale might not have used this term,
but she would have welcomed its
effects) – but also due to her initiative. At the very start, she developed
a care plan based on the WHO
care quality standards in place since
1984. She ensured regular internal
training courses and replaced the
previous functional nursing model
with zone nursing. While
tasks had previously been
divided between different
care workers according
to a hierarchy – from administering medicines to
making beds, from talking
with patients to checking
their vital signs – now one
main care worker was appointed for a particular
zone within a ward, a role
that differed in scope according to the amount of
care required.
Today, different care
organisation systems are
used. In January 2016,
“primary care” was introduced at KLH under the
leadership of Michaela Bach. This
means that one care worker is responsible for a patient from the
moment they are admitted to the
moment they are discharged. In
practice, for 26 – 32 patients, three
or four main care workers are responsible for six to eight patients
each. They care for the patients
from admittance to discharge and
serve as a point of contact between
“their” patients, patients’ relatives
and doctors. This increases safety,
continuity and transparency.
Having covered this precise
topic in the Bachelor’s thesis she
wrote at the end of her academic
studies, Michaela Bach is just the
person to drive this fundamental
PHOTOS: PRIVATE; WEISSBACH
tile to one another, but they barely
spoke”. From the outset, Mechmann was determined that this
would change. Her interview with
the District of Lower Franconia focused on the new KLH managerial
structure, with a three-part structure with equal status for doctors,
administrators and care workers to
put them on an equal footing, as
was usual in North Rhine-Westphalia. As she explains,
enhancing the value of
care workers was a matter
of urgency – after all, they
are the largest professional
group in the hospital and
bear the same level of responsibility as doctors and
administrators. Care workers have the closest and
longest-lasting
contact
with patients and should
thus have a say in decision
making and be equally
accepted.
Marlies Mechmann
– who was born in Duisburg, trained at Dinslaken Evangelical Hospital
and worked as a manager
for Duisburg Municipal Hospitals – joined König-Ludwig-Haus
brimming with new ideas. From
1916 to 1974, nursing was the responsibility of the Würzburg nuns,
who naturally had little interest
in having a say, restructuring or
management. Financially speaking, the hospital welcomed the
around 40 nuns in its employ. In
1955, the motherhouse received 60
Marks per nun per month, while
the nuns themselves received 15
Marks. “But gradually, there were
fewer and fewer nuns to do the job
and a new approach was needed”,
says Mechmann in her collegial,
respectful – even loving – Rhenish
way. There might have been fewer
restructuring. She was born in the
town of Mellrichstadt and, after
leaving secondary school, trained
as a health and care worker at St.
Josefs Hospital in Schweinfurt before moving to the University Hospital of Würzburg. From July 2006
to September 2009, she worked in
the anaesthesia department of König-Ludwig-Haus, first as Deputy
Ward Manager before managing
the ward herself. In 2013,
she earned her Bachelor’s
degree in Nursing and
Healthcare Management.
Marlies Mechmann spent
several months showing
her the ropes of her new
role at KLH. In contrast
to Mechmann, professional nursing conditions
were already in place
when Bach came to the
job – “the nest was already
feathered”. Mechmann is
convinced that Bach “will
get the job done”.
Many things changed
while Mechmann was
in charge. Plans for care
standards were developed
in 1995 that since 2001 have been
divided into three quality management areas: structure, processes
and results. The “bed handover”
procedure was introduced in 1994.
This means that the person working the late shift should be updated on a patient’s condition not in
the ward office, but by the bed in
the presence of the patient. Care
visits have also been performed at
KLH since 1997 – this involves the
Director of Care making random
visits to some of the patients who
require the most attention. To put
it crudely, not all of the patients in
the Orthopaedic Clinic are there to
get a new hip or knee. Older patients in particular may have other
medical conditions that, while not
the primary focus of their treatment, have to be taken into account as well. Examples include diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and
dementia. KLH – and its nursing
staff – have been recognised and
certified many times over for their
outstanding achievements, for example by the Techniker Krankenkasse health insurance fund. And
Michaela Bach
Director of Care since 2015
the patient survey introduced in
1998 shows that 98% of patients
are satisfied with their care!
Aromatherapy in the hospital
Mechmann’s area of responsibility also saw a fundamental change
to patient documentation with the
transition from handwritten to digital medical records, which not
only contain details of the entire
treatment and care process, but
can also be viewed by everyone involved at any time. This not only
saves paper and – as is constantly
emphasised – money, but also aids
the flow of information and the
“safety and transparency” constant-
ly demanded by Mechmann and
Bach for patients and employees.
If a patient suffers a fall or develops bedsores (a particular danger
in orthopaedics), the incident can
be documented and thoroughly investigated. “In this way”, explains
Mechmann, “we established that
a new anaesthesia medication was
leading to more patient falls after
operations and were able to draw
conclusions.” The most
important aspect was the
introduction of the quality management system,
which employs regulated
processes, clear structures
and defined procedures to
clearly organise work processes.
With so much enthusiasm for new technologies, it is a little surprising that Mechmann
is particularly proud of
one (of her own) innovations: the introduction
of aromatherapy to the
hospital. It might sound
like something you’d find
at a spa, but Mechmann
emphasises the scientific basis of
this decision: “A person isn’t just
a physical entity; they also have a
mind and soul.” For example, a study by the University of Düsseldorf
has shown that rubbing jasmine
oil into a person’s skin can have a
similarly calming effect to Valium.
Naturally, Michaela Bach wishes to
continue with these complementary treatments.
Nursing has changed dramatically over the past 25 years. Care
workers’ training has become more
thorough and comprehensive,
and the number of KLH workers
with three years’ training (rather
than one year) is much higher
than in 2004. To secure talented
83
young workers, the District has –
at Mechmann’s request – worked
with the Lohr Vocational School
for Nursing to increase the number
of places available for healthcare
and nursing students. The trainees
are KLH employees.
Medical assistant training has
been offered for many years now,
and with great success. Students
have the option to obtain further
qualifications, for example to train
as surgical assistants in cooperation with the University of Würz-
84
burg, or to pursue further training
in healthcare and nursing. The
“Voluntary Year of Social Service”
and federal volunteer service have
also attracted young people to the
nursing profession. The number of
employees has remained roughly
the same under both Mechmann
and Bach. The nursing service
employs 70 people, eight of them
male, while the functional service
– i.e. operations, IMC, transportation, hygiene and the polyclinic
– has 48 employees, including 15
It is obvious that the nurses have the longest, but also the closest contact with patients.
men. As before, nursing remains a
predominantly female profession.
The exchange of information
between the three-part structure
of doctors, administrators and
care workers is running smoothly;
responsibility is bundled and yet
borne by several people. Patients
are better able to understand all
care measures performed, are provided with patient information
brochures and are asked for their
opinions in a survey that is, of
course, discussed and taken into
Medical Assistants can obtain additional qualifications or
train as health care specialists or nurses.
account by the board. But the basic
problem remains the same: too few
staff members and too little money
for nursing. Why?
Writing in the commemorative
publication to mark KLH’s 75th
anniversary, Marlies Mechmann
emphasised that: “If we as a society do not recognise that we all
have the potential to grow old, sick
and needy, we will not be willing
– as individuals or as a society – to
make financial sacrifices for the
weak, the old and the sick.” Now,
25 years later, she says: “I could and
would have to make the same statement now – the attitude within our
society, and thus within healthcare
and politics, has not changed in the
slightest.”
She hopes that her successor
Michaela Bach “will not be saying
the same thing after 25 years in the
job.” But this is not just a task for
Michaela Bach; it is something we
must all strive to overcome.
◆
85
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
After surgery patients often need to be monitored closely and treated comprehensively.
The Intermediate Care Ward (IMC) was established to that end.
86
87
Physiotherapy:
Many
routes
to
succcess
Only physiotherapy can turn a perfect operation into successful treatment.
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
By Markus Mauritz
By offering physiotherapy treatment, we want to improve our patients’ mobility and posture (picture: soft tissue techniques).
88
89
O
nly physiotherapy can turn
a perfect operation into successful treatment. At König-Ludwig-Haus, 19 therapists put this
into practice. Day after day, they
work with around 200 people –
their stamina and train their body
awareness”, says Brigitte Kuhn,
Head of Physiotherapy at KLH,
listing the objectives of the treatment. She ex-plains that all of these
factors are important to well-being
both inpatients and outpatients
with prescriptions.
“By offering physiotherapy
treatment, we want to improve
our patients’ mobility and posture,
strengthen their muscles, increase
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
Electrotherapy using Scanlab
90
and freedom from pain. Ms Kuhn
and her colleagues look at the patient as a whole person. Her day-today practice has shown that joint
diseases rarely develop overnight,
but often result from years of onesided strain or even lifelong poor
posture. “So we watch our patients
very closely: How do they stand?
How do they walk? How do they
move?” she says, explaining her holistic ap-proach. Preventative measures may not remove the need for
an operation, but they may be able
to delay it or prevent deterioration.
As Hippocrates said, prevention is
better than cure.
The German word “Physiotherapie” (physiotherapy) has only
been in use since 1994 – before
that, the term was “Krankengymnastik” (literally “medical gymnastics”). But this branch of medicine
has a long history. Indian yoga and
Chinese qigong have similar objectives, and the athletes in ancient
Olympia trained their bodies with
gymnastic exercises. Up until the
High Middle Ages, doctors recommended regular movement,
massages, spas and plenty of sleep.
Only in the dark days of the Late
Middle Ages did caring for one’s
own body fall by the wayside, until the ancient ideals of health and
fitness were revived in the Renaissance.
Since then, therapists have of
course learned a lot and developed
modern techniques. For example,
the specialisms at König-LudwigHaus include therapy based on Ian
Bayley’s treat-ment concept, which
has helped many people with unstable shoulder joints. Some of the
therapists at KLH trained in this
field by work shadowing at the renowned Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London. Today, patients come to Würzburg from all
over Germany to receive this treatment. “If patients have a long way
to travel, we offer intensive therapy
on two consecutive days, both in
the morning and afternoon”, says
Brigitte Kuhn, explaining one of
the hospital’s special services. “Intensive cooperation by the patient”
is key to the Bayley treatment concept, which is why she places great
value on patients’ motivation.
Other special features at KönigLudwig-Haus include “therapeutic
climbing” on a special climbing
wall and “slackline therapy” for
“sensorimotor rehabilitation”. Naturally, fun is also a crucial part of
these therapies! KLH is constantly
looking for inspiration outside Europe too, as demonstrated by Kinesio Taping, a treatment method
from Japan that uses special tapes
to relieve pain and relax the muscles, and acupoint massage, which
is based on findings from Chinese
medicine and aims to “restore the
free flow of qi, or life force”, as Brigitte Kuhn explains.
Numerous other services also
boost patients’ well-being, including classic massage therapy, fango
therapy, aroma massages, foot reflexology, osteopathy as a holistic therapy, reiki to activate selfhealing forces and Jin Shin Do as a
form of acupressure.
Appointments to try out these
optional services can be made at
any time and vouchers can be
purchased as gifts for friends and
family.
◆
91
Infiltration using x-ray in the x-ray department (from left to right: Dr Jana Kamawal
and medical technical radiology assistant Claudia Scholz)
PHOTOS: WEISSBACH
The person in control of all patient charts: Norbert Totzauer
Checking the patient results measured by the analysis system in the hospital’s clinical laboratory.
92
Tailor Erwin Hirschmann is an institution at König-Ludwig-Haus.
93
Always
on the go
Hospital Director Harald Schlögel
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
H
94
e draws, creates and designs,
his garage contains two old
motorbikes and a youngtimer,
and he’s been known to work on
his own inventions in his spare
time. And, last but not least, Harald Schlögel has been managing
the Orthopaedic Clinic KönigLudwig-Haus for six years in his
role as Hospital Director. Born
in Upper Franconia, he is a truly
restless spirit who loves interacting
with others and approaches the
unexpected with the serenity of a
creative mind. Harald Schlögel’s
colourful and complex life is
reflected in his professional background too. He left the Humanist
Grammar School in his home town
of Bamberg after completing 10th
grade and moved to the College
of Design in Nuremberg. “I have
President of the Lower
Franconia District
Assembly Erwin Dotzel (l.)
talking to Hospital
Director Harald Schlögel
95
always enjoyed drawing, particularly graphic design”, he explains with
a shrug of his shoulders. But art is
a tough career to pursue. “I soon
realised that you have to be really
good; maybe I was lacking in confidence”, Schlögel recalls.
He was drafted into the army
in the 12th grade. And instead of
becoming a designer or painter, he
spent 12 years in the military – first
in a combat unit, then moving to
the headquarters and ending up in
the HR department. But he was
never a soldier to his core. “He
needs a more military presence”,
one appraisal stated. Nevertheless,
he believes his time in the army
was a good apprenticeship. Certain
regulations and procedures are similar to those of large commercial
enterprises. Above all, he learned a
lot about dealing with colleagues,
and got to know people from all
sections of society. “I still enjoy
working with people”, he says. As
Hospital Director, he places great
value on open communication:
“Naturally, managers will always
be the subject of criticism and cannot – and should not – please everybody”, he says. But everyone is
welcome to knock on his door for
a chat. “I want all employees to be
valued equally, be they a cleaner or
a chief physician.”
PR work in the healthcare
sector: a balancing act
But how did Harald Schlögel
come to move from the military to
healthcare? He married, had two
children – and decided to leave
the army after 12 years. At the age
of 29, he began a business studies
course (with a focus on marketing) at the Deutsche AngestelltenAkademie (German Employees’
Academy) in Nuremberg. He then
96
started applying for jobs – and was
offered a variety of roles.
He accepted a job as Deputy
Administrative Manager at St. Elisabeth Hospital in Bad Kissingen.
“Healthcare wasn’t even on my radar before then”, he admits. From
renovating the hospital to altering
its corporate form, the next six
years presented him with a broad
range of challenges. Further posts
followed as Director of HeinzKarl-Hospital in Bad Kissingen
and Head of Controlling at Lohr
District Hospital.
Finally, on 1 December 2009,
Harald Schlögel took up his position as Hospital Director at the
Orthopaedic Clinic König-LudwigHaus. For three years , he has been
overseeing extensive construction
measures – from the new recovery
room, to a restructured operating
area, through to the psychiatric
department that will open in April
2017. Harald Schlögel holds meetings and discussions with the District of Lower Franconia, planning,
managing and steering. A standard
workday? No such thing, he says.
As a marketing expert, the realignment of PR work is particularly
close to his heart. In the healthcare
sector, this is a real balancing act:
Advertising must not be excessive;
events generating publicity should
be utilised as objective and highly
informative marketing tools. New
flyers and advertising components
are just one element. Other measures include the “Orthopaedic
Dialogue” lecture series broadcast
by the regional television station
TV Touring.
I have a great team
“Legislation changes year by
year, and bureaucracy grows”, says
Schlögel. Record-keeping and do-
cumentation are just as important
as good quality management. “This
is correct and important, but not
at the expense of the patients. You
have to find the right balance”, he
emphasises.
He believes that a healthy employee structure is essential in
preparing hospitals for the future.
One hospital philosophy is to make
sure patients feel they are in good
hands. “I have a great team with
330 employees – and I am happy
that, unlike a large corporation, we
can maintain a friendly work environment. And the patients notice.
We are consistently receiving positive feedback and our staff are considered very friendly.” To an extent,
this perhaps reflects Schlögel’s HR
experience from his army days.
And when things are getting
hectic, his creative side can also
prove useful. “Others run themselves ragged over challenges still
to come; I see them as an opportunity”, he says.
And indeed, Harald Schlögel
uses art and creativity to unwind
from his work. His latest project?
After cutting down the crown of
and removing the bark from a wild
cherry tree in his garden, he wants
to use glass and wire to turn it into
a work of outdoor art. A visual
accompaniment to the base of his
house, which he has transformed
into a mosaic using local rocks and
stones.
◆
Development of patient numbers in inpatient care
5.000
4.000
4.042
3.439
3.480
3.552
1990
2000
2005
3.739
3.000
2.261
2.000
1.699
1.000
0
1970
1980
2010
2015
Development of patient numbers in outpatient care
30.000
27.191
25.000
27.869
28.248
2014
2015
25.319
20.000
19.331
20.191
20.453
2009
2010
21.650
15.000
10.000
5.000
0
2008
2011
2012
2013
97
In this
hospital
food
the
tastes
like
haute cuisine
Every day, chef Fabian Beck and his team feed at least 200 people:
the patients and staff of König-Ludwig-Haus.
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
By Markus Mauritz
What do the former chef Werner Friedrich and his successor Fabian Beck (r) have in common? They are both passionate chefs.
98
99
“Wake me up in the
middle of the night and
I can cook a meal”
he air is scented with freshly chopped vegetables,
strong broth and just a hint of roasting. Between
a huge cooker, all sorts of work surfaces and numerous
cupboards, there’s plenty of space for the team of
cooks, dietary assistants, support staff and trainees.
More than a dozen men and women work here,
employing all of their skills to feed the patients and
employees of König-Ludwig-Haus. Breakfast, lunch
and dinner. Day in, day out. For at least 200 people.
Sometimes they also have to prepare canapés, finger
food and other snacks, for example for district council
meetings or other events. The ground-floor hospital
kitchen with the wide window façade is definitely the
belly of König-Ludwig-Haus. Fabian Beck rules this
kingdom of sparkling stainless steel and well-stocked
store and cold rooms. On his way to the lounge, he
quickly gives a few instructions – but with complete
composure. Clearly, this 31-year-old doesn’t beat
about the bush. He knows what he wants – and he
knows his abilities. He trained in the Hotel Rebstock,
one of Würzburg’s top choices for gourmet cuisine.
And he always wanted to be a chef, he says, even as
a child.
Launching his career in the Hotel Rebstock
Beck took some detours before arriving in his
current job. First, he spent one year working as a bell
boy in the Hotel Rebstock because – aged just 15 –
he was too young to train as a chef. However, his
good performance allowed him to shorten his trai-
100
neeship to two and a half years. After working at the
gourmet restaurant in Würzburg, he moved to an
events and commercial kitchen business that manages company canteens throughout southern Germany.
“It taught me a lot about costing and hygiene, even
if I initially had a few problems with this form of
gastronomy”, Beck recalls. With his designer stubble
and hair combed back with a touch of gel, he looks
more like the chef of an upmarket Italian restaurant
than the boss of a large-scale kitchen with no scope for
Michelin stars.
Herzlichen
h!
Glückwunsc
Die Zeitungen sind die
Sekundenzeiger der Geschichte.
Bavaria’s best in the master’s exam
Arthur Schopenhauer
When he joined the culinary master’s school in
Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 2007, one instructor
sneered at his CV, telling him to go home and learn
how to cook. Beck returned the next day and showed
them all how it was done. He passed the master’s exam
with the best grade in Bavaria. And his instructor
admitted that anyone can make a mistake!
Fabian Beck has been cooking for König-LudwigHaus since 2009. In 2011, he took over from longtime kitchen manager Werner Friedrich. He may not
be a Michelin-starred chef, but the people who eat
here on a regular basis say it tastes as good as anything by that illustrious group! “Wake me up in the
middle of the night and I can cook a meal”, says
Fabian Beck. And what does he make for his wife if
he has a guilty conscience? “Rice pudding or a pasta
bake. They always go down well!”
◆
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
T
Wir gratulieren dem König-Ludwig-Haus
zum 100-jährigen Jubiläum
und wünschen viel Erfolg für die Zukunft!
“Wake me up
in the middle
of the
night
meal”
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
and I can cook a
Fabian Beck and some of his team
102
103
König-Ludwig-Haus,
a
monument
to its time
The 100-year-old hospital is changing its image once again.
PHOTO: MAURITZ
By Markus Mauritz
There is plenty left to do by the spring of 2017 (picture taken in March 2015).
104
105
A
rchitecture is more than just constructing beautiful facades. And a hospital is more than just a
functional building. Architecture is the art of creating an unmistakeable impression of a landscape or
silhouette of a city. Where castle towers and soaring
church spires once appeared in silhouette against the
horizon, now it is skyscrapers and office blocks that
shape a skyline. But one thing has not changed: Architecture is an expression of a city’s spirit – isolated,
fortified, formidable, sleepy, bustling, cosmopolitan.
Helping to destigmatise psychiatry
A city’s panorama reveals a lot about its inhabitants,
both past and present. And a hospital reflects a commitment to humanity, a willingness to help. The first
hospitals were constructed in the Middle Ages with
this in mind, their diverse tasks always founded upon
compassion. They sheltered and fed the poor, provided strangers with a place to stay, but above all they
cared for the old and the sick. Dating back to 1316,
Würzburg’s Bürgerspital zum Heiligen Geist is one of
the oldest surviving hospitals in Germany.
A construction worker and a lady at
the ground-breaking ceremony for the
new construction in March 2014.
From left to right: Mayor Adolf Bauer,
President of the Lower Franconia
District Assembly Erwin Dotzel, Bavarian State Minister for Health Melanie
Huml, District President Paul Beinhofer,
Director of hospitals and retirement
homes Rainer Klingert and architect
Erwin Götz.
This glimpse of the past shows that Würzburg
has always had a particular flair. Opened in 1916,
König-Ludwig-Haus fits in nicely with this long tradition of outstanding medical facilities. And as with
all typical city architecture, it is constantly evolving.
A city is never complete. Over the last 100 years,
König-Ludwig-Haus has undergone a series of changes,
adapted to the times and changed its appearance –
if not always voluntarily. König-Ludwig-Haus is a
monument to its time.
And the hospital is currently undergoing another
metamorphosis. In March 2014, work began to add a
“Centre for Mental Health” to the orthopaedic hospital. This expansion will create a whole new psychiatric
clinic with 60 in-patient beds and 24 day-care places.
The project aims to create a hospital with two specialisations but one shared entrance in the structure connecting König-Ludwig-Haus and the new building.
This shared entrance will play a key role in destigmatising psychiatry – something that has been close to
the planners’ hearts from the very beginning. A separate entrance is planned for psychiatric emergencies.
The Centre for Mental Health will be formed of
two rectangular structures – the first and second floors
will contain two open wards and one secure ward,
each with 20 beds in one- and two-person rooms. The
centre will also house a psychiatric day clinic for three
groups of up to eight people. All patient rooms will
have south- or west-facing views.
PHOTO: MAURITZ
Sharing important functional areas
106
A path through the inner courtyard will connect
the old building to the extension. The X-ray department and central laboratory will remain in the old
building, while the new building will contain an MRT
with separate entrances for patients and staff. Sharing
these important functional areas between both specialisations will create many further synergies. The orthopaedic hospital will also benefit from its connection
to the Centre for Mental Health: What was the inner
courtyard will be divided into two garden areas. An
underground car park with 75 spaces will be accessible from Brettreichstrasse on the west side. From here,
a stairwell and lift will provide access to the Centre
for Mental Health and König-Ludwig-Haus will be
reached via the connecting path. And the extension
project has yet another advantage: The König-Ludwig-
107
A bright look into the future. The facade of the future hospital will be painted in a darker shade than shown in this animation.
108
109
Haus lecture theatre will be moved to the Centre for
Mental Health, creating space in the orthopaedic hospital to place the recovery area and intensive care ward
closer to the operating area while adapting them to
the latest standards. The new operating theatre 5 and
the central sterilisation department were inaugurated
back in January as part of these measures. The new
thopaedic hospital is home to Jakob-Riedinger-Haus
– a residential and care home with a total of 50 places.
In the near future, this home will be completely rebuilt in Würzburg’s Heuchelhof district. Planning has
already begun. The application for planning permission will be submitted at the end of this year. This
would allow construction to begin in 2017, and the
June 2014
November 2014
June 2015
August 2015
Spring 2016
dining hall, cafeteria and IMC will follow shortly. A
mezzanine floor is also to be added to the south wing
of König-Ludwig-Haus with rooms for the medical
management team.
new home could then be ready for occupancy by late
2018 or early 2019. This would then free up space on
the premises of König-Ludwig-Haus for an “Institute
for Movement Research”. But this is still up in the air!
What is certain is that architecture will never stop
developing. Admittedly, opinions on architecture
change with the times. Once it was all about style, expressing the beauty of a building with rich, ornamental decoration. In the 20th century, functionalism was
the prevailing architectural force, and with it the question of a building’s purpose. But striking, prominent
necessity. A form of artistic expression that determines whether we
feel at home in a city.
König-Ludwig-Haus reflects both the past and the future.
Whether we consider its founding phase in the First World War,
its restoration after the destruction of the Second World War or its
future structure incorporating a “Centre for Mental Health”, it is
a monument to its time. König-Ludwig-Haus has presence and is
the face of Würzburg orthopaedics.
◆
All of these construction activities are to be completed by summer 2018 at the earliest, and will then
be followed by the next major architectural undertaking. At the moment, the north-east wing of the or-
110
PHOTOS: MAURITZ; WEISSBACH
The face of Würzburg orthopaedics
buildings are what will always make our home distinctive. They
create a vibrant identity for the city. Whether overflowing with
baroque flourishes or a simple post-modern style, whether harnessing a particular creative quality or simply inspired by the need to
be useful, beautiful architecture always shapes its surroundings.
Architecture creates the framework in which we live, a form of
aesthetics neither luxurious nor decorative. Architecture is a social
111
Die
Welt
in
Ihren
Farben
Ihr Druckhaus
in Würzburg
Tel. 0931-90083-0
www.bonitasprint.de
PHOTOS: WEISSBACH
112
A lot is going on at
König-Ludwig-Haus...
113
Book mobile at
König-Ludwig-Haus
Würzburg
Irene Dietlein (r)
and Brigitte Vincke (l)
provide the patients
with books.
PUBLISHING INFORMATION
CONTENT: Harald Schlögel
PRODUCTION: Verlag Kendl & Weissbach Publikationen,
Sanderring 13, D-97070 Würzburg,
telephone: +49 931/41729584, fax: +49 931/45467383,
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Wolf-Dietrich Weissbach
PREPRESS: CMS – Cross Media Solutions GmbH, Würzburg
EDITORIAL TEAM: Karl Luger, Dr. Eva-Suzanne Bayer,
Dr. Markus Mauritz, Michaela Schneider
PRINTING: bonitasprint gmbh, Würzburg
PRODUCTION MANAGER: Stefan Kendl
DESIGN/LAYOUT: Stefan Kendl, Bernd Steigerwald
PHOTOS: Dr. Markus Mauritz, Wolf-Dietrich Weissbach, Melanie Schmidt,
Stadtarchiv Würzburg (Würzburg City Archive), Archiv König-Ludwig-Haus
Würzburg (König-Ludwig-Haus Würzburg Archive)
114
TRANSLATION: Blackmans, Sherrie Blackman-Linse
All copyright and publishing rights reserved for this publication and parts thereof.
All use and exploitation, particularly reproduction, duplication, microfilming, storage and use on optical and electronic data media is subject to written permission.
The content of this magazine has been reviewed carefully. However, the authors,
editorial teams and publisher assume no liability for the accuracy of its content.
PHOTO: WEISSBACH
PUBLISHER: König-Ludwig-Haus Orthopaedic Hospital Würzburg,
Brettreichstraße 11, D-97074 Würzburg, telephone: +49 931/8030

Herzlichen Glückwunsch an das König-Ludwig

Transcription

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