Professor Dr. Karl Vossschulte
* June 1^st 1907 - † April 6^th 2001

One of the great pioneers of Thoracic Surgery in our country died at the age of 93 on April 6^th 2001 at his home in Giessen.

Karl Vossschulte was trained under E. K. Frey, a fellow of the school of Ferdinand Sauerbruch. He followed E. K. Frey from Düsseldorf to Munich as associate Professor until he was appointed chair of Surgery at Justus-Liebig-University in 1951, where he worked until 1975.

Prof. Vossschulte served as Director of General surgery, however, he became an innovative promoter of Thoracic Surgery in Germany. Prof Vossschulte introduced numerous new operative methods including the “Aortenisthmusplastik”, the “Dissektionsligatur des Oesophagus” and the “Trichterplastik” bei Empyemresthöhle”, techniques which were used throughout the world for many years.

Prof. Vossschulte was committed to teaching and research. Due to his prolific publications, including numerous textbooks and original scientific papers, he was awarded many honours. He was a member of the “Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher LEOPOLDINA””, Halle, received a honorary Doctorate from the Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich and was an honorary member of more than 10 international societies.

As founder and promoter of the “Thoraxchirurgischen Arbeitstagung”” in Bad Schachen/Bad Nauheim in 1956 and editor of the journal “Thoraxchirurgie und Vaskularchirurgie”” from 1953-1972 Karl Vossschulte was highly esteemed for his linguistic genius.

After his retirement in 1975 Professor Vossschulte remained active in the scientific and legal communities and socially, exhibiting the same strict discipline, meticulousness and correctness which characterized his career.

During his last years he was plagued by serious illness; however the greatness of his mind remained free of any restriction.

Karl Vossschulte remains a great person in the history of medicine and in the memory of all of his former residents, fellows, trainees, colleagues, and friends.

Friedrich W. Hehrlein, Gießen