title: New revelations about Hans Berger, father of the electroencephalogram (EEG), and his ties to the Third Reich.
abstract: Hans Berger was a German neuropsychiatrist and head of the neurology department at the University of Jena, who discovered the human electroencephalogram (EEG). Many sources state that Berger was forced into retirement and suicide by the Nazis because he was at odds with the regime. In fact, Berger helped select his Nazi successor Berthold Kihn (complicit in "euthanasia" murders), financially supported the Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS), and was a willing participant on Nazi genetic health higher courts that reviewed appeals for forced sterilizations of neuropsychiatric patients. His motivations could be related to avoiding Nazi harassment, indoctrination by Nazi ideology, or less likely, career opportunism. His actions stand in contrast to colleagues who partially resisted the Nazis, and hopefully will serve as an example to future generations of neurologists regarding the danger of allowing one's professional standing to be used as a tool to support the policies of tyranny and oppression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA lzeidm1@uic.edu.
authors.forename: Lawrence A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Zeidman
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kondziella
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000266:history*; D005858:Germany; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008488:Medical Illustration / Q000266:history; D028683:National Socialism / Q000266:history*; D009462:Neurology / Q000266:history*
keywords: EEG; Hans Berger; Nazi; Third Reich; forced sterilization