[Wilhelm Griesinger (1817-1868)--his knowledge of psychiatry from the historical and current perspective]

Abstract

Thorough re-analysis of Wilhelm Griesinger's scientific work is very interesting not only from the historical point of view, but also with regard to the present-day debate about the role and self-image of psychiatry. In the literature, Griesinger's ideas are often reported in a rather undifferentiated and condensed manner. Therefore, it may be overlooked that he did not avoid getting involved with the principal epistemological issues of psychiatry (which were an unpopular topic in his time as well), but discussed them intensively and with a constant look at their relevance for clinical and research purposes.