["Fiction and Truth": Goethe's anatomical research at the University of Jena].

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  • Author(s): Schäfer HH;Schäfer HH; Sivukhina E; Dölz W; Oehring H
  • Source:
    Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift (1946) [Dtsch Med Wochenschr] 2012 Dec; Vol. 137 (51-52), pp. 2722-8. Date of Electronic Publication: 2012 Dec 11.
  • Publication Type:
    Biography; Historical Article; Journal Article; Portrait
  • Language:
    German
  • Additional Information
    • Transliterated Title:
      "Dichtung und Wahrheit": Goethes anatomische Forschung an der Universität Jena.
    • Source:
      Publisher: G. Thieme Country of Publication: Germany NLM ID: 0006723 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1439-4413 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 00120472 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Dtsch Med Wochenschr Subsets: MEDLINE
    • Publication Information:
      Original Publication: Stuttgart [etc.] : G. Thieme, 1946-
    • Subject Terms:
      Medicine in Literature*; Anatomy, Comparative/*history ; Manuscripts, Medical as Topic/*history ; Maxilla/*anatomy & histology ; Poetry as Topic/*history ; Research/*history ; Universities/*history; Germany ; History, 16th Century ; History, 17th Century ; History, 18th Century ; History, 19th Century ; History, Ancient ; Humans
    • Subject Terms:
      von Goethe JW
    • Abstract:
      Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was one of the most renowned German poets of the late Age of Enlightenment. However, his engagement went far beyond literature especially relating to politics and natural science. Goethe, primarily trained as a lawyer, developed his own theory of colors and even challenged the concepts of Isaac Newton. His discovery of the human intermaxilary bone questioned all the dogmas of the religious-minded world of the 18th century. Together with the anatomy professor Justus Christian Loder, Goethe performed comparative anatomy and proved the conceptual uniformity of humans and animals on 27 March 1784. Even though, Félix Vicq d'Azyr described the intermaxilary bone simultaneously in Catholic France, Goethe's findings were politically accepted due to the liberal Protestantism of the Duchy of Weimar. Nevertheless, leading anatomists of the century (Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, Petrus Camper and Samuel Thomas v. Soemmerring) mainly rejected Goethe's postulates which led to a delayed publication in 1820; almost 36 years after writing his original manuscript. Today, Goethe's discovery is known to be a fundamental basis for the development of Charles Darwin's theory of phylogenetic evolution. Nowadays, the Department of Anatomy contains the Museum Anatomicum Jenense which was founded by the Duke of Weimar, Carl August and Goethe and entails Goethe's premaxillary bones as its main attraction. The University values the cultural heritage of Goethe's contribution to Medicine and provides access to the collection to the public and generations of medical students. Still today Goethe's legacy is noticeable in the halls of the Alma Mater Jenensis.
      (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)
    • Publication Date:
      Date Created: 20121213 Date Completed: 20130219 Latest Revision: 20181202
    • Publication Date:
      20221213
    • Accession Number:
      10.1055/s-0032-1327351
    • Accession Number:
      23233304