Franz Gerstenbrand, Austria

Read the obituary of Franz Gerstenbrand here

My main intention as the founding president of the EFNS was to include the neurology of the former Socialist Countries in the European Community, lifting up the scientific level and starting with an educational programme. Professor Pavel Kalvach, Prague, founded an academy in South Moravia, inviting young neurologists mostly from East European countries and presenting an excellent teaching programme. Flying teaching courses were performed, mostly with the help of Professor Kalvach with the basic organization of Dr. Uschi Tschabitscher. A clinical exchange programme was started.

Intensive discussions with the leaders of the ENS under the patronage of Lord Walton had no success. Professor Said, as the permanent Secretary General and part of the Management Committee refused steps of a cooperation. Nowadays the leading group of ENS remarked the mistake of the former politic and changed the strategy to be more interested in East Europe and tries to start with political obligation in the field of neurology.

My personal intention was to include the East European Neurology to be a full member in the EFNS with a close cooperation, beginning with Russia, but as well with the neurology of the South European Countries to find a realistic equilibrium between West and East European neurology. The basis of the cooperation till now is the Danube Neurology, the Central and East European Association for Neurology. The annual conferences of the Danube group are used to intensive the cooperation with the EFNS and for common decisions. Continuous cooperation is held with the Pula-Group for Neurology and Psychiatry.

After my opinion, the main obligation of the EFNS is to continue the cooperation on European research programmes and in education, but to use the mandate of an official European organisation, intensify political consultations at the EU-level as well as in regional political health decisions, with the aim, to have a better position of neurology. Neurology at all needs a better position as a speciality in health as well as in professional politics. A better cooperation should be started with the World Federation of Neurorehabilitation and its European branch as well as with the World Federation of Neurosurgery and its European branch.
 

Born September 6, 1924 in Hof, North Moravia, Primary School in Untertannowitz, South Moravia, High School in Nikolsburg, South Moravia. Graduation M.D: 1950, at the University of Vienna. Head of the 2nd Department of the Neurological Hospital, Rosenhügel, Vienna, 1975 - 1976, Head of the Neurological University Clinic of Innsbruck, 1976 - 1994, emeritus from the University of Innsbruck. Head of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Restorative Neurology, 1995 - 2006 Honorary doctorate of the Charles University, Prague, June 4th 1997 Honorary doctorate of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), 27th June 2003 Honorary Senator of the Danube University Krems (Austria), 16th November 2001. Honorary President of the Austrian Parkinson Society, Austrian Society of Neurology and Psychiatry, Austrian Advocacy Group for Apallic patienty, President of the Austrian-Myanmar Society All Russian Scientific Society of Neurologists, Polish Medical Society, Neurological Society of the Czech Republic, Medical Society J.E. Purkynje, Hungarian Neurological Society, Candidate for President of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN), 1997 Professional affiliations: Founding member and Honorary President of the Danube Symposia for Neurosciences and Education (Central and East European Neurological Association) Founding member of the European Society of Neuropharmacology (ESCNP) Member of the Executive Board of the World Federation for Neurological Rehabilitation, Austrian Society for Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, International Neuropsychiatric-Pula-Symposia, WFN Research Group for Extrapyramidal Diseases, Austrian Society of Coma Vigile (Wachkoma), German Society of Coma Vigile (Wachkoma), Member of the WFN Research Group for Intensive Care Neurology, WFN Research Group for Neurological Services WFN Research Group on Neuro-Imaging, Myanmar Neurological Society, American Academy of Neurology, Royal Society of Medicine, London