7 August 2019- Project Update: “The History of the Forced-Migration of German-Speaking Neuroscientists and Biomedical Researchers”

Publication Announcement on a Recently Accepted Article for the Journal of Neurology:
"Dr. Rudolf Altschul (1901-1963) -- Pioneer in Neurology"

By Anzo Nguyen (http://emigreucalgary.blogspot.ca)

This article announcement is part of the regular U of C Émigré Project Updates: (http://emigreucalgary.blogspot.ca/2019/)

Last month, an article co-authored by Dr. Frank W. Stahnisch and Anzo Nguyen was published online in the Journal of Neurology, titled “Rudolf Altschul (1901-1963)– Pioneer in Neurology”. This brief, biographical article details the Canadian life and career of neuro-anatomist Dr. Rudolf Altschul, who built a diverse career of many academic interests at the University of Saskatchewan. Trained at the German-speaking University of Prague, he was forced to flee his native Czechoslovakia in the aftermath of the country’s annexation by the Nazi Wehrmacht in 1939. Following a hazardous journey to Canada via Britain, including a voyage on the ill-fated ocean liner Athenia, Dr. Altschul managed to re-establish himself as an acclaimed neuro-anatomist at the University of Saskatchewan. Throughout his wartime and postwar career, he would become head of the Department of Anatomy, and conduct research in a wide range of fields, including neuro-anatomy, cardiology, and atherosclerosis. In particular, his research on atherosclerosis earned funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in his later years. This article provides a brief, but detailed account of Dr. Altschul’s storied biography, focusing on his years in Canada from 1939 onwards. In addition, by examining the case study of his individual immigration and settlement process, the article contextualizes his story as simply one of the greater mass migration of German-speaking biomedical scientists from Central Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. Finally, Dr. Altschul’s career provides insight into methods that these refugee scientists employed to rebuild their careers within the professional networks of North America.

(Please see further online at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-019-09446-2).