[Rudolf Schindler (1888--1968)--"father" of gastroscopy]

Abstract

Rudolf Schindler was born in Berlin and achieved his international reputation with the textbook "Lehrbuch und Atlas der Gastroskopie", written in Munich. This was the first book containing excellent endoscopic pictures. He was the first to report on more than four hundred gastroscopies performed without complications. 1928 to 1932, he developed the first semi-flexible gastroscope together with the technical designer Georg Wolf from Berlin. This became the lasting standard for about twenty-five years. In 1934, Schindler emigrated to Chicago after being released as a Nazi prisoner. In 1937, he was awarded the gold medal for his research on gastritis by the American Medical Association. He became the leading person among American gastroscopists for many years and, in 1941, the first president of the American Gastroscopic Club. After 1943 he moved to California to work and live. He also received awards from the American Societies for Gastroscopy and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in 1953 and 1962. He spent his last years in Munich. His honorary titles of father, architect or super salesman of gastroscopy describe the spectrum of his personality. He was an endoscopist with outstanding technical and diagnostic skills and knew particularly how to deal with patients, how to develop endoscopes as well as being a highly qualified teacher, author and scientist. He also had many hobbies, in particular playing and conducting music perfectly.