Psychobiographical reflections on Viktor von Weizsäcker within the cultural framework of salutogenesis and medical anthropology

Abstract

This article explores the life of Viktor von Weizsäcker (VvW, 1886–1957), a German medical doctor, philosopher and founder of the Heidelberg School of Anthropological Medicine, from a psychobiographical and salutogenic perspective. The authors use salutogenesis and sense of coherence (SOC), and take crucial cultural, historical, and socio-structural frameworks into account to explore the life during the 19^th and 20^th Centuries in Germany. They present the exploration of a strong SOC in the life of VvW and show how SOC is created within the tight family bonds of the family clan, which has produced many extraordinary theologists, philosophers, scientists and politicians over six generations. In a complex, interconnected and holistic way, SOC is evident in von VvW’s individual life, and is also shown to be a family resource. This article contributes to psychobiography in three ways: it develops the salutogenetic perspective in psychobiography, explores the life of VvW within a specific sociocultural context, and investigates the life from a salutogenetic and socio-cultural perspective. Finally, conclusions are drawn, and recommendations for theory and practice are given.

Keywords:

• Psychobiography
• sense of coherence
• Viktor von Weizsäcker (VvW)
• salutogenesis
• meaningfulness
• anthropological medicine
• Germany

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 All quotes from VvW were translated by the authors.

2 A habilitation is a post-doctoral dissertation (in Germany) and usually opens the entry into a professorial position at a university.

3 Why two different texts, reflecting the own life story without being autobiographies (Weizsäcker 1947)? 1944 VvW describes in "Nature and Spirit" how he became the doctor he was in his confrontation with the intellectual currents of the first half of the 20th century. "Encounters and Decisions" was written down in 1945 in captivity, deals mainly with 1918-1933 and tackles questions of guilt. Not only individuals are responsible, but "everyone must begin with the perception of guilt with himself" (47). VvW blames himself for having recognized the emerging danger of National Socialism too late and for not having opposed it. He sees a moral crisis in society at large and feels a sense of failure in the attempt to establish a value-based science, which he will nevertheless continue. VvW radicalizes his position and, concerning health and illness, asks not only about feelings of guilt but, more broadly, about blame.

4 In his cultural-historical study, Theweleit (1977/1978) linked the psychosexual disposition for fascism with a long-term socialization into a soldierly man. VvW, as a contemporary eyewitness, could reflect this pattern retrospectively against the background of the experiences of National Socialism and World War II.

5 Translated by the authors

6 +++: (very) strong; ++: medium; +: (very) low

7 The references refer to the first editions; citations refer to the cited quotations.