Journal of International Society for the History

THEY INTRODUCED MODERN RADIOLOGY IN TURKEY:
REFUGEES FROM NAZISM 1933-1945
Construction Diagram for the
Reininger Device
This alone was a signifi cant, development in
technology, radiology, and in public heath. To put this late
1930s development into a temporal perpective; the anti-
TB league of the Canadian province of Newfoundland
purchased a US naval boat fi tted with mobile x-ray
equipment in 1947, christened it the M.V. “Christmas
Seal” and sent it out to visit all maritime coimmunities
for TB Screening and treatment.. “Due to a lack of roads,
a major portion of the population could not reach the
screening centres, so this fl oating TB clinic came to
them.” 51 A Brief Hitory of Public Health in Muskegon
County Michigan states that “During the 1940s several
public health advancements were made, such as
the creation of mobile x-ray units,” 52 The Silver Cross
Hospital of Joliet, IL proudly annoncces that in 1944 it
introduced the use of the First portable X-ray machine. 53
During July 1949 the Arizona State Department of Health
started intrducing mobile X-Ray units in its public health
services. 54 The Industry got into the act during the 1960’s.
because of the “emergence of mobile mammography as
a breast-examination tool to fi nd and treat cancerous
tumors at early, curable stages.... mobile chest X-rays to
view patients lungs and to determine a host of respiratory
diseases, including tuberculosis and cancer” were
manufacured by Medical Coaches of Philadelphia, PA 55 .
The St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effi ngham, IL.
proudly announces that in 1983 a parking space-pad was
constructed for a Mobile Computerized Tomography
van. 56
Reininger emphasized that this transportable unit
could also be used for military purposes. He bequathed his
device’s patent rights to Turkey saying: “I hope you’ll use
this device not in war but in peace!” 57
Perceptions of the Émigrés in Turkey
Today
Memories of the émigré professors and the appreciation
of their contributions to Turkey’s modernization linger on
in that country and among the educated Turkish Diaspora.
Recently several symposia were devoted to keeping
the memories alive. One conference organized by the
Turkish Academy of Science (TÜBA), was devoted to
“The Evolution of the Concept of University in Turkey
(1861-1961)” (November 18, 2006). At the meeting, the
evolution of the “university” concept during a 100-year
time span was discussed. Much of the discussion focused
on Atatürk’s university reforms, the realization of which
JISHIM 2007-2008, 6-7
Arın NAMAL, Arnold REISMAN
was attributed to the émigrés from Germany. The Preface
to the published Proceedings of that conference58 written
by the Academy’s President Prof.Dr. Engin Bermek
begins with:
The University Reform was the most important
event in the evolution of the university concept
in our country. In the continuous pursuit to
prevent the new university from just remaining
on paper but to make it into a real modern
institution of superior education with qualifi ed
scientists to be employed, a historical opportunity
was met when Hitler took over power in
Germany and Legislation to Restructure Offi cial
Positions (Gesetz zur Wiederherstellung des
Berufsbeamtentums) and similar laws were
enacted to eliminate Jewish scientists or those
opposing the regime. Originally 30 scientists were
selected from the names proposed to the Turkish
government by A. Malche through the offi ces of
the Emergency Assistance Committee to German
Scientists Outside the Country (Notgemeinschaft
Deutscher Wissenschaftler in Ausland) founded
in Switzerland by Philipp Schwartz to support
scientists fi red by the Nazi regime.
The original 30 emigre professors before the war’s
end numbering 190 produced many of the initial cadre
of indigenous Turkish intellectuals who in turn spawned
others so that no fewer than 72 universities are currently
staffed by competent and many world-class professors
including those who spoke at the above symposium.
Signifi cantly also is the fact that on April 7, 2006, the
University of Istanbul conducted a symposium on the
1933 University Reform. The conference opened with
a welcoming speech by Dr. Mustafa Keçer, the dean of
the Istanbul Medical Faculty, who reiterated that “Turkey
owes a great debt to the émigrés. They did great work here,
although some jealous colleagues tried to denigrate them.”
Reiner Möckelmann (b. 1941), Germany’s recently retired
Consul General in Istanbul, organized a symposium at the
Consulate conducted on August 6, 2006, dealt with the
contributions of the medical contingent. 59
Dessauer and his treatment staff (Photograph
courtersy Dr. Seyfettin Kuter archives).
31