Obituary of Karl-Heinz Gebhardt

Karl-Heinz Gebhardt (Photo Courtsey: www.homsym.de)

Karl-Heinz Gebhardt, MD (1924–2023) was a German homeopathic clinician, author, and administrator par excellence. He was 98.

“The one who has a long arm reaches the goal.”-Karl Heinz Gebhardt (1)

On October 18, 1924, just a few years before the world's Great Depression, saw the birth of Karl-Heinz Gebhardt, a seminal figure for the development of homeopathy in Germany.

Gebhardt studied medicine from 1947 to 1952 at the medical school in Halle/Saale, Germany, and upon graduation served as a scientific assistant at the First Medical University Clinic in Halle/Saale from 1954 to 1958. It was during this time that he received his initial training in homeopathy. From 1958 to 1959, he performed a residency at the Evangelical Deaconess Hospital in Schwaebisch Hall. At that time, he joined the DZVhAe (Deutschen Zentralvereins homöopathischer Ärzte) and acquired his homoeopathic certification. Gebhardt served in a similar capacity, from 1960 to 1964, at the Medical University Clinic in Würzburg.

After the early death of his wife from cancer in 1963, he turned intensively to the study of oncology and, from 1964 to 1968, worked as senior physician at the First Medical Clinic in Karlsruhe and subsequently as head physician of the department for tumor patients and geriatrics. He served in a similar capacity in the internal medical department and as medical director of the Southwest German Rehabilitation Hospital in Langensteinbach (near Karlsruhe).

In 1971, Gebhardt established his own practice in Karlsruhe focusing on homeopathy and oncology. As you may know, this area of Germany is associated with several homeopaths of import, that is, Ludwig Griesselich (1804–1848), who was intimately involved with the journal Hygea, and Heinz Schoeler (1905–1973) who helped the Allgemeine Homoeopathic Zeitung (General Homeopathic Newspaper/Journal) become firmly established. In 1972, Gebhardt began serving as chief editor of the Allgemeine Homöopathische Zeitung. In 1975, he became the first Chairman of DZVhAe.

In addition to his clinical and administrative work and political activism, Gebhardt made contributions to the training of the younger generation of homeopaths, that is, as a lecturer at the Medical Faculty in Heidelberg (1976–1986), as the head of the course for homeopathy at the Medica Montreux (1983–1993), and homeopathy day during the Medical Week in Baden-Baden. He was also a member of the working group for homeopathy in Karlsruhe (1988–2012).

Furthermore, we owe him a debt of gratitude for the purchase and restoration of the Hahnemann House in Kothen (with the help of the “Forderverein für Homoeoopathie”) and the funding of the “Materia Medica” project, which was initiated with the support of the “Family Ernst Wendt Foundation,” “Revisa Homoeopathiae.”

His achievements received appropriate recognition, when in 1987, he was awarded Germany's “Federal Cross of Merit.”

“Anyone who knows Karl-Heinz Gebhardt will quickly notice his basic constitution, namely, his openness to everything he encounters, coupled with tolerance, goodwill, and a sense of humor that accompanied each of our conversations in the form of hearty laughter.

“His 90th birthday, which he celebrates in full mental freshness and health, falls on October 18, 2014; on this occasion, we thank him extraordinarily for the care he has given to homoeopathy during his entire professional life up to the present day and wish him all the best for the future.”–Klaus-Henning Gypser.(2)

Below is a partial list of many duties and contributions that Dr. Gebhardt made to our beloved art:

• Chairman of the Baden Wuerttemberg Regional Association of the German Central Association of Homoeopathic Physicians (1969–1975).

• Responsible editor of the Allgemeine Homoeopatische Zeitung from 1972 to 2006.

• First Chairman of the German Central Association of Homoeopathic Physicians from 1974 to 1991; subsequently, he was appointed Honorary Chairman.

• Chairman of the Foerderverein fuer Homoeopathie e.V. since 1982.

In addition, he has championed the cause of homoeopathy with considerable success as the following: first chairman of the Hufelandgesellschaft e.V. from 1975–2004 and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Familie-Ernst-Wemdt-Stiftung, founding member of the Nature and Medicine Foundation (2nd chairman from 1983 to 2012), corporate member of Hartmann-bund (1987–2004), of which he served as managing member for 4 years, First Chairman of the Medical Association for Experiential Medicine from 1992 to 2002, member of the Federal Health Council, member of the Presidium of the German Medical Association (as representative of the DZVhAe), and expert in the “Institut Arzneimittel in der Krankenversicherung.”

Early in 2023, Dr. Carl Klinkenberg, a much younger colleague, wrote a laudatory and heartfelt letter to Dr. Gebhardt. It is reprinted here, with minor editing:

“Dear Mr. Gebhardt, it is my hope that this letter will still reach you.

“I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart: you have done extraordinary things for homeopathy in Germany. Your work for the central association and your dealings with political decision-makers are unprecedented and you have achieved a lot of good here in the long term. Many colleagues came to homeopathy through you; many have been trained by you and nearly all have had an enormous positive influence on homeopathy. I know that I speak for many colleagues.

“Last but not least, most of those colleagues recognized the importance of a materia medica revision and have helped fund projects to that end.

“Our bodies are perishable. Your charisma and your work have left a golden touch in this left-behind world and rendered a great service to our wonderful art of healing.

“My dear Dr. Gebhardt, I appreciate you as a loving, very open and warm, learned person. I will always keep your wonderful sense of humor in my heart also.” -Carl Rudolf Klinkenberg, MD

Dr. Gebhardt crossed the threshold on August 16, 2023. Mr. Yasgur acknowledges the assistance of Drs. K.-H. Gypser and Carl Rudolf Klinkenberg in assembling this obituary.

Note

1. Quoted from Gypser K-H. 90th birthday celebration of Karl Heinz Gebhardt. “Allgemeine Homoeopathische Zeitung” 2014;259:27.

2. Ibid.

Publication History

Article published online:
12 January 2024