title: [Sauberbruch and Ulbricht].
abstract: The communist leader in Eastern Germany, Walter Ulbricht, and the most popular surgeon of Germany since the "golden twenties", Ferdinand Sauberbruch, met together for some days after the second world war at Berlin. After a short biographical report of both personalities the causes and the details of this unusual connection between Ferdinand Sauerbruch, the great surgeon, and Walter Ulbricht, the Stalinist dictator, are given. The different backgrounds, some social circumstances and political necessities have influenced their cooperation. On this way political and medical relationships are explained. In spite of his part during the Nazi regime Sauerbruch became a chief of the health department in Berlin from May 1945 until October in the same year. He withdrew in 1949, suffering of arteriosclerosis. Later, past the foundation of the German Democratic Republic, Walter Ulbricht obtained by fighting the whole power in the party and in the state.
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Klimpel
mesh_terms: D013502:General Surgery / Q000266:history; D005858:Germany; D005859:Germany, East; D049673:History, 20th Century; D007398:Interpersonal Relations