Ludwig Guttmann British neurosurgeon, founder of the Paralympic Games Date of Birth: 03.07.1899 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Ludwig Guttmann

Ludwig Guttmann was a British neurosurgeon of German origin, best known as the founder of the Paralympic Games. He was born in Tost, Upper Silesia, Germany, and when he was three, his family moved to Konigshutte. In 1917, at the age of 17, Ludwig began working at a local hospital, where he encountered a young miner with a spinal cord injury. Unfortunately, he was unable to save the miner, who died from sepsis five months later.

In April 1918, Guttmann started studying medicine at the University of Breslau and later transferred to the University of Freiburg in the spring of 1919. He obtained his doctorate degree in 1924 and continued working in the Jewish Hospital in Breslau, eventually becoming the director of the hospital by 1930.

During a period of increasing hostility towards Jews in Germany, Guttmann ordered the treatment of all patients, regardless of their nationality, following a series of violent attacks on Jews and the tragic events of Kristallnacht on November 9, 1938. His decision saved at least 60 out of 64 patients from arrest and deportation to concentration camps. In early 1939, Guttmann and his family were forced to flee the country due to the escalating persecution of Jews.

On March 14, 1939, Ludwig and his family arrived in Oxford, England, where they received support from a local refugee group. Guttmann continued his research on spinal cord injuries at the Nuffield Department of Neurosurgery in the Radcliffe Infirmary. He spent the duration of World War II in the United Kingdom and became a naturalized citizen in 1945.

In September 1943, British authorities offered Guttmann the opportunity to establish a national medical center for spinal cord injuries at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. On February 1, 1944, the center was created, with Guttmann serving as its director until 1946. He placed great emphasis on sports as a method of therapy and his work with wounded veterans demonstrated that sports could help restore physical and mental well-being.

On July 28, 1948, the day of the London Olympic Games' opening, Guttmann initiated the first Stoke Mandeville Games for disabled athletes. By 1952, over 130 foreign athletes were participating in the regularly held games organized by the center. This initiative gained attention from Olympic organizers and various charitable organizations worldwide.

During the 1956 Stoke Mandeville Games, Guttmann was awarded the Sir Thomas Fearnley Cup for his contribution to the development of the Olympic movement. In 1960, the International Stoke Mandeville Games took place concurrently with the Olympic Games, marking the formal beginning of the Paralympic Games. It is important to note that the term "Paralympic Games" was officially introduced by the International Olympic Committee in 1984.

In 1961, Guttmann founded the British Sports Association for the Disabled. He passed away on March 18, 1980.