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Hans BergerGerman physiologist and psychiatrist
Date of Birth: 21.05.1873
Country:  Austria |
Content:
- Biography of Hans Berger
- Pursuit of Brain Signals
- Invention of Electroencephalography
- Later Life and Controversies
Biography of Hans Berger
Early Life and EducationHans Berger, a German physiologist and psychiatrist, was born on May 21, 1873, in Neuses, Coburg, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Germany. After completing his schooling, Berger enrolled at Friedrich Schiller University of Jena with the intention of becoming an astronomer. However, he discontinued his studies after one semester and joined the cavalry for a year of military service. During a military exercise, Berger's horse suddenly reared up, and he was nearly crushed under the wheels of a cannon being pulled by other horses. The officer in charge of moving the artillery battery managed to stop in time, saving Berger from serious injuries. Interestingly, Berger's sister, who was at home hundreds of kilometers away, felt at that moment that her brother was in danger and insisted that their father send a telegram to check on his well-being. Years later, in 1940, Berger wrote about this incident, stating, "It was a case of spontaneous telepathy that occurred at the moment of mortal danger. When I thought of certain death, my thoughts were transmitted to my sister, who was very close to me. She acted as the receiver."
Pursuit of Brain Signals
After completing his military service, Berger, driven by the idea of capturing brain signals, returned to the university and switched his focus to medicine. In search of "psychic energy," he began to deeply explore the correlation between objective brain activity and subjective mental phenomena. He obtained his medical degree in 1897 and was accepted as an assistant to Otto Ludwig Binswanger, the head of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology at the Jena clinic. By 1906, Berger had become a senior lecturer in Jena, and by 1912, he became the chief physician. He collaborated with Oskar Vogt and Korbinian Brodmann, identifying the psychophysiological peculiarities of brain function lateralization. In 1927, Hans was appointed rector of Friedrich Schiller University of Jena.
Invention of Electroencephalography
In 1924, Berger recorded electrical signals from the surface of the head using a galvanometer, and it took him another five years to publish his first scientific paper in 1929, demonstrating the technique of electroencephalography (EEG). German medical and scientific institutions initially reacted with skepticism and even ridicule. However, in 1934, British electrophysiologists Edgar Douglas Adrian and B. H. C. Matthews recognized Berger's contributions, and the importance of his discoveries was acknowledged at an international forum in 1937. Starting in 1938, electroencephalography began to be practiced for diagnostic purposes in the United States, England, and France.
Later Life and Controversies
In the same year, Berger retired at the age of 65, receiving the title of Honorary Professor of Psychology. According to one version of events, supporters of the Nazi regime forced Berger into retirement and banned him from any activity related to EEG. Another account suggests that Berger served on the Court for Genetic Health and his diaries contained anti-Semitic comments. In 1941, he received an invitation from Karl Astel, the developer of Nazi eugenic programs, to join the Court for Genetic Health at Friedrich Schiller University of Jena. Berger responded, "I am happy to work again as an expert in the Court for Genetic Health at the University of Jena. Thank you." After a long struggle with clinical depression and suffering caused by a severe skin infection, Hans Berger took his own life. On June 1, 1941, he hanged himself in the southern wing of the Psychiatric Clinic at Friedrich Schiller University of Jena.
