The making of Ludwig Guttmann

Abstract

Ludwig Guttmann was the founder of the National Spinal Injury Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the first successful unit in Europe to treat spinal injury patients. He also founded the paraplegic sports movement. This article is based on Guttmann's unpublished autobiography and 25 years of personal experience. He was born in Germany where he was trained in neurology, neurosurgery, rehabilitation and research by Otfrid Foerster. Guttmann fled Germany in 1939. German medicine led the World and Guttmann applied his training to the treatment of spinal injury patients in the United Kingdom.