Johannes Sobotta (anatomist)
Johannes Sobotta was a notable German anatomist born on January 31, 1869, in Berlin. He completed his medical education in 1889 and became a prominent educator and researcher in anatomy throughout his career. Sobotta is best known for his influential work, the "Atlas of Descriptive Human Anatomy," first published in 1904, which features detailed illustrations of the human body and has been reprinted numerous times in multiple languages. This atlas is particularly valued by medical students for its meticulous illustrations, which assist in identifying various body parts, and remains popular in contemporary medical education.
Throughout his career, Sobotta held various academic positions, including professorships at Julius Maximilian University in Wurzburg and Friedrich Wilhelm University in Berlin, where he taught until shortly before his death on April 20, 1945. His contributions to anatomy include not only the atlas but also significant research on the reproductive system of mice, particularly concerning the corpus luteum. Despite the controversial context of some anatomical works produced during World War II, Sobotta's earlier contributions have largely maintained their respect and recognition in the field. He was honored with the Goethe Medal for Art and Science shortly before his passing, underscoring his impact on anatomical science.
Johannes Sobotta (anatomist)
German anatomist
- Born: January 31, 1869
- Birthplace: Berlin, Germany
- Died: April 20, 1945
- Place of death: Bonn, Germany
Also known as: Robert Heinrich Johannes Sobotta
Education: Royal Medical Surgical Academy for the Military
Significance: Johannes Sobotta was a renowned anatomist. Among several books authored by Sobotta during his lifetime was an illustrated anatomy atlas. This work became a standard for anatomy and has been used by medical students for generations.
Background
Johannes Sobotta was born on January 31, 1869, in Berlin, Germany. The son of an architect, Sobotta graduated from his hometown's Royal Wilhelms Gymnasium before attending the Royal Medical Surgical Academy for the Military. He completed his medical studies in 1889 and his final oral exam known as the rigorosum in 1891.
After serving as a volunteer medical assistant at Friedrich Wilhelm University's First Anatomical Institute, Sobotta completed his final studies and exams. He became a second assistant at the institute and led a dissection room. By 1895, he became a respected professor in the Institute for Comparative Anatomy, Embryology, and Histology at Julius Maximilian University in Wurzburg, Germany.
Sobotta continued to teach over the course of his lifetime. He moved to Konigsberg in 1916 to become the director of the Anatomical Institute at Albertus University. Three years later, he returned to Friedrich Wilhelm University as a full professor and director of the Anatomical Institute. He remained there until 1935 when he was named professor emeritus, although he continued to lecture at the university nearly until his death on April 20, 1945.
Life's Work
The majority of the work for which Sobotta is remembered was created during the twenty years he taught at Julius Maximilian University. It was during his time there that he wrote most of his books and created the Atlas of Descriptive Human Anatomy, first published in 1904. The three-volume atlas has one book devoted to the musculoskeletal system; one to the internal organs; and one to the head, neck, and nervous system. Considered a classic work, Sobotta's atlas has been reprinted at least fifteen times in English alone and is available in at least sixteen languages. Nearly four hundred different editions have been published worldwide.
From its earliest printing, the value of this book was recognized. The detailed illustrations were colored as a student might observe them through a microscope using medical stains, and were completed in meticulous detail. The drawings were also carefully labeled to assist students in identifying each body part. This made it a very useful book for medical students and as a reference for practicing physicians.
While there are a number of German anatomists who created similar atlases, Sobotta's was often preferred for another reason. Many of the other books were created during or shortly after World War II (1939–1945) when it has been speculated that anatomy departments at universities in the German Third Reich may have used the bodies of the victims of Nazi atrocities for dissection and study. Some scholars consider books produced during this time to be tainted and prefer to use other reference books. This is especially true of the work of Eduard Pernkopf, who is alleged to have used victims of the Nazi Holocaust as the basis of his studies and drawings. However, even Sobotta's book was affected by this, as some of the illustrations added in subsequent editions were done by Nazi artists Erich Lepier and Karl Endtresser, who signed their work with small Nazi icons. These works have become controversial, but Sobotta's work, done well before World War II and only updated thereafter, has largely escaped criticism.
Sobotta's work continues to be updated into the twenty-first century and is a popular choice among medical students, especially in Europe. Newer editions come with illustrations that include x-ray and computerized scan images as well as a link to a website with more images, additions Sobotta could not have imagined. In addition to his classic anatomical atlas, Sobotta published several other works. These include Atlas and Outline of the Histology and Microscopic Anatomy of Man, published in 1901, and Outline of the Descriptive Anatomy of Man, published between 1904 and 1907.
Although he is best known for his written work and teaching, Sobotta also conducted research that remains significant in contemporary times. One such project was his work studying the reproductive system of mice, specifically its ovaries and eggs. He made several findings related to the corpus luteum—remains of a temporary portion of the egg follicles in the ovaries of the female reproductive system in mice, humans, and other mammals—that helps produce hormones needed to support an egg as it matures and prepares for fertilization.
Sobotta was considered for the prestigious Alderschild medal for scientific achievement in 1943, but he was not chosen as the recipient. However, he was awarded the Goethe Medal for Art and Science for his accomplishments on his seventy-fifth birthday on January 31, 1944. He is ranked among Germany's most prominent anatomists.
Impact
Although it was first published in 1904, Sobotta's atlas of anatomy offers illustrations that are so detailed, realistic, and useful that the book is still used by medical students in the twenty-first century. Countless modern-day newspaper and magazine articles and websites include illustrations drawn by Sobotta well over a century ago because they are still considered accurate and helpful.
Personal Life
Sobotta married twice. He and first wife, Maria Katharina Fortig, were wed on May 3, 1900. They had two sons, Rudolf, born in 1900, and Walter, born in 1903. Walter died in a car accident at the age of twenty-seven. Although both were married, neither son had children. After Maria Katharina died in 1922, Sobotta married Jeanne Bliemeister. They had no children.
Bibliography
Atlas, Michel C. "Ethics and Access to Teaching Materials in the Medical Library: The Case of the Pernkopf Atlas." Bulletin of the Medical Library Association, vol. 89, no. 1,Jan. 2001, pp. 51–8.
Bazelon, Emily. "The Nazi Anatomists." Slate, 6 Nov. 2013, www.slate.com/articles/life/history/2013/11/nazi‗anatomy‗history‗the‗origins‗of‗conservatives‗anti‗abortion‗claims‗that.html. Accessed 8 May 2017.
"Biography" Justus Liebeg Universtat Giessen, geb.uni-giessen.de/geb/volltexte/2006/2908/pdf/HeckertGerold-Teil2.pdf. Accessed 8 May 2017.
"History of the Use of the Mouse Embryo Model." University of New South Wales, embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/History‗of‗the‗use‗of‗the‗Mouse‗Embryo‗Model. Accessed 8 May 2017.
"Johannes Sobotta." WorldCat Identities, worldcat.org/identities/lccn-n79094545/. Accessed 8 May 2017.
Medvei, V.C. The History of Clinical Endocrinology: A Comprehensive Account of Endocrinology from Earliest Times to the Present Day. CRC Press, 1993.
Wade, Nicholas. "Doctor's Question Use of Nazi's Medical Atlas." New York Times, 26 Nov. 1996, www.nytimes.com/1996/11/26/science/doctors-question-use-of-nazi-s-medical-atlas.html. Accessed 8 May 2017.