Forum Laudations
Wolfram Sterry on the occasion of his 65th birthday 5 March 2014
Wolfram Sterry: Physician – Scientist – Cosmopolitan Almost exactly 30 years ago our three paths crossed for the first time at the annual meeting of Arbeitsgemeinschaft Dermatologische Forschung in Münster, Germany. One of us (SIK) gave a lecture entitled “The Current Status of Investigative Dermatology” describing many trail-blazing advances in dermatologic research and referred, with understandable pride, to the accomplishments of his American colleagues. He also suggested the path that he felt German-speaking (as an example of European) dermatology had to take to once again attain a leading role in dermatologic research, a position it had lost as a result of the ill-fated policies of the Nazi regime. Today German-speaking dermatology is firmly anchored in the upper echelons of the international scene; much of the credit for this accomplishment belongs to Prof. Dr. Wolfram Sterry, the long-time Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the Charité in Berlin. In a time in which we are seeing the transition from organ-based to system-based medicine, dermatology is confronted with the real risk of losing some traditional areas of expertise to other specialties. We need individuals who can represent “Dermatology and Venereology” in its entire breadth and depth, both within our field and in interactions with other branches of medicine. Wolfram Sterry is one of the true guardians of the dermatologic universe – a inquisitive result-oriented clinical researcher, a brilliant and charismatic academic teacher and at the same time an extremely skilled clinician who never loses sight of his concern and responsibility for patients, no matter what demands are placed on his time. He was born on 5 March 1949 in the southwest of Germany in the small town of Marbach am Neckar, better known as the birthplace of Friedrich Schiller in 1759. He studied medicine in Cologne where he also did his dermatologic training. Cologne and the Rhineland have a warm spot in his heart, as he frequently proves by taking visitors to Berlin to the “Ständige Vertretung”, a cult restaurant and bar which prides itself on its Cologne roots and local beer. His two chairmen, Gerd Klaus Steigleder in Cologne and Enno Christophers in Kiel, set the way for Wolfram both as a clinician and researcher. He investigated the cellular, immunologic and molecular pathology of cutaneous lymphomas and also became interested in the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin diseases, especially psoriasis. He was among the first to grasp the importance of transferring these experimental insights into new therapeutic approaches; in other words,
Figure 1 Prof. Dr. Wolfram Sterry.
he practiced translational dermatology before this phrase became so overused as to lose significance. How did he so often succeed in being an innovative pioneer? Knowledge, experience, curiosity and hard work – these are absolute essentials for an academic career. But one needs more in order to sail in unchartered areas; most important is an extra sense which enables one to anticipate connections that are not readily apparent. Wolfram has this unique capacity and shown an uncanny knack first in Ulm and later in Berlin to point his younger associates in the right direction and support their efforts. Beneficiaries of his keen insight include Uwe Trefzer and Peter Walden (melanoma), Eggert Stockfleth (non-melanoma skin cancer), Markus Maurer and Torsten Zuberbier (allergy), Ulrike Blume-Peytavi (hair disorders), Kyushru Asadullah and Jürgen Lademann (cutaneous physiology and pharmacology), Bernhard
© 2014 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. | JDDG | 1610-0379/2014/1203
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Forum Laudations
Figure 2 At the piano.
Lange-Asschenfeldt (wound healing) and Robert Sabat (psoriasis). Because of Wolfram's ability to bring together a critical mass of sharp thinkers and dedicated researchers, the Department of Dermatology at the Charité has assumed a prominent position among the leading dermatology programs in the world, perhaps even a higher ranking than during any other time during its long and glorious history. Equally impressive is the reputation that Wolfram enjoys both in German-speaking and international dermatology. He was President of the Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (German Dermatological Society), European Society for Dermatological Research, European Dermatology Forum and currently is President of the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS), the international confederation of national dermatologic societies. He has been on the editorial board of many important specialty journals including the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, and founded the Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft (JDDG). T hrough his efforts, this journal also became the official publication of the Österreichische Gesellschaft für Dermatologie und Venerologie (Austrian Society of Dermatology and Venereology). Wolfram has always been a bridge builder in both national and international dermatology, as demonstrated by the many prizes and honors he has received over the years. He is a member of the National Akademie der Wissenschaft Leopoldina (German National Academy of Sciences), and the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences). He has delivered some of the most prestigious honorary lectures in our field, named after founding fathers such as Hebra, von Zumbusch, Marchionini and Goerz. In addition, he is an honorary member of many national dermatologic societies including those of Austria, Bulgaria, Israel, Italy and the U.S.A.
180
If one observes Wolfram in a lecture, a scientific discussion or especially at the bedside, then one immediately recognizes that he is a dermatologist down to the bones. Despite his well-structured investigative and analytical mind, he has never forgotten that we all start at the same place – studying the skin at a macroscopic and microscopic level – so that someone who does not like morphology cannot be a good dermatologist. The daily clinical meetings in his department are unforgettable, for there he teaches his residents and other young colleagues the unique clinical diagnostic features of a broad spectrum of skin diseases. His love of classical dermatology is also reflected in his continuous efforts to improve and monitor daily clinical practice. Not surprisingly, he has had a deep interest in guidelines and headed the committee responsible for developing pan-European guidelines in dermatology. We, the authors of the laudation, are privileged to know Wolfram not only as an esteemed colleague but also as a friend. Thus we not only know the physician and scientist Prof. Sterry, but also the all-around person Wolfram, who is both a loving and caring husband to Gerda and at the same time a good-spirited companion for her. Both of these images are reflected in his solid and stable personality. Here is a man with well-defined values and a clear vision, who carefully considers and then carries out all appointed or self-set tasks, even in difficult times. He has a wonderful dry sense of humor and a playful elegance when one experiences him cooking or playing the piano at home in Berlin or in his and Gerda's beloved second home in the Italian Marches. He loves Bach, and regularly plays his well-tempered music on the piano. This contemplative time is in sharp contrast to his ability to play American piano music in bars or at private parties. Wolfram, on the occasion of your 65th birthday, you should look back with pride and satisfaction on all you have accomplished and enjoy your special day celebrating among friends. We send you every good wish on this occasion and for many years to come. Georg Stingl, Vienna; Stephen I. Katz, Bethesda
Correspondence to Georg Stingl, M.D. Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna Währinger Gürtel 18–20 1090 Vienna, Austria E-mail: [email protected]
© 2014 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. | JDDG | 1610-0379/2014/1203
Forum Laudations
Wolfram Sterry – A Unique Visionary Medical Leader We knew who was coming, but we were nonetheless somewhat tense as he arrived. In contrast to previous steps in my training, now my new chief was just a few years older than I was, and younger than some of his new faculty. In fact he looked too young for his double position as Chairman of the University Department of Dermatology in Ulm, Germany, and Director of the Dermatology Service in the cooperating Bundeswehrkrankenhaus where he had the rank of Colonel in the Army Medical Corps. As soon as he started working, it was clear to everyone; his age would never play a role, never making him too old for one task or too young for another. Wolfram Sterry is a man with a natural aura of authority and charisma, whose appearance and manners make him appear qualified as a leader in a timeless way. All of us working for him immediately grasped that the university was the center of his interests and that he valued teaching and research almost as much as patient care. It was not his goal to rigidly lead a troop of health care workers in a military setting, but instead to guide the destiny of the university and its dermatology department into the future. Towards this goal, he supported everything which advanced academic recognition; he expected disciplined engagement in all tasks; and he immediately criticized any sign of carelessness or lack of attention. Attendance at Mittagsvisite was mandatory; there were no acceptable excuses for being absent. He showed his mastery of clinical diagnosis moving from a careful analysis of the patient's lesions to the differential diagnosis in the inimitable style of his teacher Enno Christophers. I will never forget how his face showed concern as he approached difficult clinical problem but simultaneously expressed pleasure and excitement as he explained a particularly challenging problem. I note the same features today, even if he is addressing a totally different issue, such as the production of olive oil from his own trees in his beloved second home in the Marches of Italy. His enthusiasm for lymphocytes and their diseases remains a dominant image, but equally unforgettable were his respect and tolerance for those with other interests, as long as their work was successful, advancing clinical care, science and the total image of our team. It was no surprise that as a very young chairman he was soon chosen to guide the entire medical faculty as Dean; even though he served in this office for a relatively short time, he more than lived up to the high expectations of the faculty. Less than three years after he had started work in Ulm, he received the call from the Charité in Berlin to become Chairman of their famous Department of Dermatology. For me this seemed like the end of a much longer, crucially formative epoch in my life. In the same year, my academic am-
Figure 3 During a noon-time clinical conference.
bitions were realized as I became Chairman at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, so that it was easier for me to accept the departure of my last teacher and accept responsibility on my own. Wolfram Sterry has always been the man of the hour, no matter where he worked and what roles he had to fill. To no one's surprise, soon after arriving at the Charité, he was also named Dean there, as the illustrious faculty saw this still relatively young individual was the leader they needed. Later he took over the rudder for our scientific professional organization, the Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft where I today as President continue to benefit from the wide- ranging reforms he introduced. Wolfram Sterry is not only a rational scientist and physician; he is also an extremely g ifted strategist and visionary. A man full of ideas, he was never
© 2014 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. | JDDG | 1610-0379/2014/1203
181
Forum Laudations
afraid to explore new pathways and always had the courage to break with tradition when he thought change was needed. He displayed this amazing foresight time and time again in a variety of positions. He served the DDG for a number of years as a Secretary-General under Erwin Schöpf and then as President from 2001 to 2003. At that time, he insisted on establishing a permanent business office in Berlin and reorganized it in such a professional manner that it continues to run smoothly and effectively today much to pleasure and relief of all his successors, including me. It is hard to imagine a DDG operating today without a permanent office. The Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft (JDDG) was also his child; his incredible drive, creative skills and self-confidence were all absolutely essential in the establishment of the JDDG d uring his presidency. Later he served as Editor-in-Chief, devoting an enormous amount of time and energy to insuring that the journal thrived to a point where it could be turned over to younger colleagues. The time log of the JDDG is typical for a Sterry project – from the idea to the actual work; from hard work to initial success; and from success to long-term viability. He has shown the same capacity in his role as President of the International League of Dermatological Societies, directing its activities into specific productive pathways and even getting everyone together in a successful Berlin meeting to insure that all supporting societies work in the same direction to help achieve international success. Wolfram Sterry has a model for all of us, as he has spent several decades dealing with difficult problems in a fair way,
proving himself to be incorruptible. He has never been afraid to take responsibility and ask difficult questions in the right way at the right time. Now he has reached the age of 65; at his side for these many years has been his wife Gerda whom we all esteem as a colleague and friend. Despite some illness-enforced limitations, with which he deals in an amazingly disciplined fashion, he is still highly regarded as a source of advice and guidance in both medical and political issues. His 50th birthday seems like just yesterday; it is so sharply etched in my memory. He celebrated in a trendy restaurant in Berlin with a fascinating mix of friends, colleagues and former students; I felt very much at home in the group and continue to think of Wolfram and his circles of friends with nothing but affection and admiration. It gives me great pleasure, not only as a proud protégé and friend but also on behalf of the Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft, to congratulate Wolfram Sterry on his 65th birthday and thank him for all he has done for our s pecialty.
Wolfram Sterry: Exceptional Individual and Dermatologist with Vision
Showing how multifaceted he is, Wolfram is also a master of Mediterranean cooking and a virtuoso piano player, with an extraordinary repertoire of master works. I would also like to emphasize Wolfram's strategic and conceptual vision as President of the International League of Dermatological Societies to increase the recognition of our specialty and positively influence its cultural and political status. His efforts to collect data on the global burden of skin diseases and to make available evidence-based guidelines for the management of skin diseases set clear signals in this direction. All this personal traits are exceptional, but not the true focus of this laudation. Outside the world of dermatology with our many professional interactions over the decades, I place far more importance on many other timeless values that I share with Wolfram (and his dear wife Dr. Gerda Sterry) like friendship, generosity and thankfulness. Wolfram and I have much in common, and not just our mutual interest in cutaneous lymphomas. We also both love the hills of the Marches in Central Italy and fly fishing for
It is a treasured moment for me to be able to pay homage to Wolfram Sterry on the occasion of his 65th birthday. As the previous laudations clearly demonstrate, Wolfram is one of the great, truly influential dermatologists of our times, who has played a crucial role in the positive development and increased international recognition of German-speaking dermatology in the past few decades. Wolfram is a unique combination of diverse talents, including intelligence, crystal-clear analytic ability, brilliant rhetorical skills and wide-reaching scientific back g round. Particularly impressive is his limitless fund of general knowledge which allows him to effortlessly expand on topics such as geologic formations (and ammonites) or to precisely explain cultural epochs like the Renaissance for those with a less diverse background. Other distinctive features are his charismatic personality and calm sovereignty, independent of the time and place.
182
Roland Kaufmann, Frankfurt am Main
Correspondence to Roland Kaufmann, MD Department of Dermatology University Hospital Frankfurt – Goethe University 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany E-mail: [email protected]
© 2014 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. | JDDG | 1610-0379/2014/1203
Forum Laudations
trout or grayling in the streams of my homeland Styria. It is impossible to become acquainted with Wolfram, without realizing that he in his remarkable way has enriched your life. Dear Wolfram, I hope a lucky star continues to accompany you! Helmut Kerl, Graz
Wolfram Sterry: Writer and Editor Although I first met Wolfram Sterry at the DDG Congress on Sylt in 1980, our lives became intertwined through the creation of this journal. Around the turn of the century, Wolfram called me and said the DDG was considering starting its own journal and asking if I would help. As the dreams became reality, Wolfram was the acting editor for a few months in fall 2002 before Eva Bröcker and Peter Fritsch assumed their duties as Founding Editors. Three years later he became Editor-in-Chief and asked me to join him as Associate Editor. We were jointly responsible for the JDDG for six years from 2006 through 2011. Our first pledges to ourselves were to make quick fair decisions and never try to blame each other for mistakes. I believe we succeeded. I learned a great deal from Wolfram. Despite overwhelming institutional, national and international demands, he always made time for the journal. He showed an uncanny ability to identify politically sensitive situations and avoid or ameliorate them. Under his leadership, with the aggressive support of Harald Gollnick, the JDDG became a truly bilingual journal – German on paper and English online. This model made it possible for a primarily German journal to get an impact factor in 2010. In addition, Wolfram has written and edited Checkliste Dermatologie through sixth German editions, numerous
Correspondence to Helmut Kerl, MD Department of Dermatology Medical University of Graz Auenbruggerplatz 8 8036 Graz, Austria E-mail: [email protected]
translations and now an electronic version due out in 2014. Checkliste is very much his baby, despite the participation of a number of other editors, and provides a superb reflection of how he feels one should learn and practice dermatology. He also has written or edited a student textbook, guideline compilations, and books on a diverse range of subjects including dermatologic diagnostic procedures and dermatologic therapy. While the written legacy of Wolfram Sterry is large, his personal impact is even more impressive. We are lucky he wound up in dermatology, as he would have been a success in any field he tackled. In addition, he has shown amazing personal courage in recent years battling a serious medical condition. Wolfram, thank you for all you have done for me, but more importantly, for all you have done for the JDDG, the DDG and German-speaking dermatology. Walter Burgdorf, Tutzing Correspondence to Walter Burgdorf, MD Traubinger Straße 45A 82327 Tutzing, Germany E-mail: [email protected]
© 2014 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. | JDDG | 1610-0379/2014/1203
183
Wolfram Sterry on the occasion of his 65th birthday 5 March 2014
Wolfram Sterry: Physician – Scientist – Cosmopolitan Almost exactly 30 years ago our three paths crossed for the first time at the annual meeting of Arbeitsgemeinschaft Dermatologische Forschung in Münster, Germany. One of us (SIK) gave a lecture entitled “The Current Status of Investigative Dermatology” describing many trail-blazing advances in dermatologic research and referred, with understandable pride, to the accomplishments of his American colleagues. He also suggested the path that he felt German-speaking (as an example of European) dermatology had to take to once again attain a leading role in dermatologic research, a position it had lost as a result of the ill-fated policies of the Nazi regime. Today German-speaking dermatology is firmly anchored in the upper echelons of the international scene; much of the credit for this accomplishment belongs to Prof. Dr. Wolfram Sterry, the long-time Chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the Charité in Berlin. In a time in which we are seeing the transition from organ-based to system-based medicine, dermatology is confronted with the real risk of losing some traditional areas of expertise to other specialties. We need individuals who can represent “Dermatology and Venereology” in its entire breadth and depth, both within our field and in interactions with other branches of medicine. Wolfram Sterry is one of the true guardians of the dermatologic universe – a inquisitive result-oriented clinical researcher, a brilliant and charismatic academic teacher and at the same time an extremely skilled clinician who never loses sight of his concern and responsibility for patients, no matter what demands are placed on his time. He was born on 5 March 1949 in the southwest of Germany in the small town of Marbach am Neckar, better known as the birthplace of Friedrich Schiller in 1759. He studied medicine in Cologne where he also did his dermatologic training. Cologne and the Rhineland have a warm spot in his heart, as he frequently proves by taking visitors to Berlin to the “Ständige Vertretung”, a cult restaurant and bar which prides itself on its Cologne roots and local beer. His two chairmen, Gerd Klaus Steigleder in Cologne and Enno Christophers in Kiel, set the way for Wolfram both as a clinician and researcher. He investigated the cellular, immunologic and molecular pathology of cutaneous lymphomas and also became interested in the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin diseases, especially psoriasis. He was among the first to grasp the importance of transferring these experimental insights into new therapeutic approaches; in other words,
Figure 1 Prof. Dr. Wolfram Sterry.
he practiced translational dermatology before this phrase became so overused as to lose significance. How did he so often succeed in being an innovative pioneer? Knowledge, experience, curiosity and hard work – these are absolute essentials for an academic career. But one needs more in order to sail in unchartered areas; most important is an extra sense which enables one to anticipate connections that are not readily apparent. Wolfram has this unique capacity and shown an uncanny knack first in Ulm and later in Berlin to point his younger associates in the right direction and support their efforts. Beneficiaries of his keen insight include Uwe Trefzer and Peter Walden (melanoma), Eggert Stockfleth (non-melanoma skin cancer), Markus Maurer and Torsten Zuberbier (allergy), Ulrike Blume-Peytavi (hair disorders), Kyushru Asadullah and Jürgen Lademann (cutaneous physiology and pharmacology), Bernhard
© 2014 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. | JDDG | 1610-0379/2014/1203
179
Forum Laudations
Figure 2 At the piano.
Lange-Asschenfeldt (wound healing) and Robert Sabat (psoriasis). Because of Wolfram's ability to bring together a critical mass of sharp thinkers and dedicated researchers, the Department of Dermatology at the Charité has assumed a prominent position among the leading dermatology programs in the world, perhaps even a higher ranking than during any other time during its long and glorious history. Equally impressive is the reputation that Wolfram enjoys both in German-speaking and international dermatology. He was President of the Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (German Dermatological Society), European Society for Dermatological Research, European Dermatology Forum and currently is President of the International League of Dermatological Societies (ILDS), the international confederation of national dermatologic societies. He has been on the editorial board of many important specialty journals including the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, and founded the Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft (JDDG). T hrough his efforts, this journal also became the official publication of the Österreichische Gesellschaft für Dermatologie und Venerologie (Austrian Society of Dermatology and Venereology). Wolfram has always been a bridge builder in both national and international dermatology, as demonstrated by the many prizes and honors he has received over the years. He is a member of the National Akademie der Wissenschaft Leopoldina (German National Academy of Sciences), and the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften (Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences). He has delivered some of the most prestigious honorary lectures in our field, named after founding fathers such as Hebra, von Zumbusch, Marchionini and Goerz. In addition, he is an honorary member of many national dermatologic societies including those of Austria, Bulgaria, Israel, Italy and the U.S.A.
180
If one observes Wolfram in a lecture, a scientific discussion or especially at the bedside, then one immediately recognizes that he is a dermatologist down to the bones. Despite his well-structured investigative and analytical mind, he has never forgotten that we all start at the same place – studying the skin at a macroscopic and microscopic level – so that someone who does not like morphology cannot be a good dermatologist. The daily clinical meetings in his department are unforgettable, for there he teaches his residents and other young colleagues the unique clinical diagnostic features of a broad spectrum of skin diseases. His love of classical dermatology is also reflected in his continuous efforts to improve and monitor daily clinical practice. Not surprisingly, he has had a deep interest in guidelines and headed the committee responsible for developing pan-European guidelines in dermatology. We, the authors of the laudation, are privileged to know Wolfram not only as an esteemed colleague but also as a friend. Thus we not only know the physician and scientist Prof. Sterry, but also the all-around person Wolfram, who is both a loving and caring husband to Gerda and at the same time a good-spirited companion for her. Both of these images are reflected in his solid and stable personality. Here is a man with well-defined values and a clear vision, who carefully considers and then carries out all appointed or self-set tasks, even in difficult times. He has a wonderful dry sense of humor and a playful elegance when one experiences him cooking or playing the piano at home in Berlin or in his and Gerda's beloved second home in the Italian Marches. He loves Bach, and regularly plays his well-tempered music on the piano. This contemplative time is in sharp contrast to his ability to play American piano music in bars or at private parties. Wolfram, on the occasion of your 65th birthday, you should look back with pride and satisfaction on all you have accomplished and enjoy your special day celebrating among friends. We send you every good wish on this occasion and for many years to come. Georg Stingl, Vienna; Stephen I. Katz, Bethesda
Correspondence to Georg Stingl, M.D. Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Vienna Währinger Gürtel 18–20 1090 Vienna, Austria E-mail: [email protected]
© 2014 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. | JDDG | 1610-0379/2014/1203
Forum Laudations
Wolfram Sterry – A Unique Visionary Medical Leader We knew who was coming, but we were nonetheless somewhat tense as he arrived. In contrast to previous steps in my training, now my new chief was just a few years older than I was, and younger than some of his new faculty. In fact he looked too young for his double position as Chairman of the University Department of Dermatology in Ulm, Germany, and Director of the Dermatology Service in the cooperating Bundeswehrkrankenhaus where he had the rank of Colonel in the Army Medical Corps. As soon as he started working, it was clear to everyone; his age would never play a role, never making him too old for one task or too young for another. Wolfram Sterry is a man with a natural aura of authority and charisma, whose appearance and manners make him appear qualified as a leader in a timeless way. All of us working for him immediately grasped that the university was the center of his interests and that he valued teaching and research almost as much as patient care. It was not his goal to rigidly lead a troop of health care workers in a military setting, but instead to guide the destiny of the university and its dermatology department into the future. Towards this goal, he supported everything which advanced academic recognition; he expected disciplined engagement in all tasks; and he immediately criticized any sign of carelessness or lack of attention. Attendance at Mittagsvisite was mandatory; there were no acceptable excuses for being absent. He showed his mastery of clinical diagnosis moving from a careful analysis of the patient's lesions to the differential diagnosis in the inimitable style of his teacher Enno Christophers. I will never forget how his face showed concern as he approached difficult clinical problem but simultaneously expressed pleasure and excitement as he explained a particularly challenging problem. I note the same features today, even if he is addressing a totally different issue, such as the production of olive oil from his own trees in his beloved second home in the Marches of Italy. His enthusiasm for lymphocytes and their diseases remains a dominant image, but equally unforgettable were his respect and tolerance for those with other interests, as long as their work was successful, advancing clinical care, science and the total image of our team. It was no surprise that as a very young chairman he was soon chosen to guide the entire medical faculty as Dean; even though he served in this office for a relatively short time, he more than lived up to the high expectations of the faculty. Less than three years after he had started work in Ulm, he received the call from the Charité in Berlin to become Chairman of their famous Department of Dermatology. For me this seemed like the end of a much longer, crucially formative epoch in my life. In the same year, my academic am-
Figure 3 During a noon-time clinical conference.
bitions were realized as I became Chairman at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, so that it was easier for me to accept the departure of my last teacher and accept responsibility on my own. Wolfram Sterry has always been the man of the hour, no matter where he worked and what roles he had to fill. To no one's surprise, soon after arriving at the Charité, he was also named Dean there, as the illustrious faculty saw this still relatively young individual was the leader they needed. Later he took over the rudder for our scientific professional organization, the Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft where I today as President continue to benefit from the wide- ranging reforms he introduced. Wolfram Sterry is not only a rational scientist and physician; he is also an extremely g ifted strategist and visionary. A man full of ideas, he was never
© 2014 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. | JDDG | 1610-0379/2014/1203
181
Forum Laudations
afraid to explore new pathways and always had the courage to break with tradition when he thought change was needed. He displayed this amazing foresight time and time again in a variety of positions. He served the DDG for a number of years as a Secretary-General under Erwin Schöpf and then as President from 2001 to 2003. At that time, he insisted on establishing a permanent business office in Berlin and reorganized it in such a professional manner that it continues to run smoothly and effectively today much to pleasure and relief of all his successors, including me. It is hard to imagine a DDG operating today without a permanent office. The Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft (JDDG) was also his child; his incredible drive, creative skills and self-confidence were all absolutely essential in the establishment of the JDDG d uring his presidency. Later he served as Editor-in-Chief, devoting an enormous amount of time and energy to insuring that the journal thrived to a point where it could be turned over to younger colleagues. The time log of the JDDG is typical for a Sterry project – from the idea to the actual work; from hard work to initial success; and from success to long-term viability. He has shown the same capacity in his role as President of the International League of Dermatological Societies, directing its activities into specific productive pathways and even getting everyone together in a successful Berlin meeting to insure that all supporting societies work in the same direction to help achieve international success. Wolfram Sterry has a model for all of us, as he has spent several decades dealing with difficult problems in a fair way,
proving himself to be incorruptible. He has never been afraid to take responsibility and ask difficult questions in the right way at the right time. Now he has reached the age of 65; at his side for these many years has been his wife Gerda whom we all esteem as a colleague and friend. Despite some illness-enforced limitations, with which he deals in an amazingly disciplined fashion, he is still highly regarded as a source of advice and guidance in both medical and political issues. His 50th birthday seems like just yesterday; it is so sharply etched in my memory. He celebrated in a trendy restaurant in Berlin with a fascinating mix of friends, colleagues and former students; I felt very much at home in the group and continue to think of Wolfram and his circles of friends with nothing but affection and admiration. It gives me great pleasure, not only as a proud protégé and friend but also on behalf of the Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft, to congratulate Wolfram Sterry on his 65th birthday and thank him for all he has done for our s pecialty.
Wolfram Sterry: Exceptional Individual and Dermatologist with Vision
Showing how multifaceted he is, Wolfram is also a master of Mediterranean cooking and a virtuoso piano player, with an extraordinary repertoire of master works. I would also like to emphasize Wolfram's strategic and conceptual vision as President of the International League of Dermatological Societies to increase the recognition of our specialty and positively influence its cultural and political status. His efforts to collect data on the global burden of skin diseases and to make available evidence-based guidelines for the management of skin diseases set clear signals in this direction. All this personal traits are exceptional, but not the true focus of this laudation. Outside the world of dermatology with our many professional interactions over the decades, I place far more importance on many other timeless values that I share with Wolfram (and his dear wife Dr. Gerda Sterry) like friendship, generosity and thankfulness. Wolfram and I have much in common, and not just our mutual interest in cutaneous lymphomas. We also both love the hills of the Marches in Central Italy and fly fishing for
It is a treasured moment for me to be able to pay homage to Wolfram Sterry on the occasion of his 65th birthday. As the previous laudations clearly demonstrate, Wolfram is one of the great, truly influential dermatologists of our times, who has played a crucial role in the positive development and increased international recognition of German-speaking dermatology in the past few decades. Wolfram is a unique combination of diverse talents, including intelligence, crystal-clear analytic ability, brilliant rhetorical skills and wide-reaching scientific back g round. Particularly impressive is his limitless fund of general knowledge which allows him to effortlessly expand on topics such as geologic formations (and ammonites) or to precisely explain cultural epochs like the Renaissance for those with a less diverse background. Other distinctive features are his charismatic personality and calm sovereignty, independent of the time and place.
182
Roland Kaufmann, Frankfurt am Main
Correspondence to Roland Kaufmann, MD Department of Dermatology University Hospital Frankfurt – Goethe University 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany E-mail: [email protected]
© 2014 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. | JDDG | 1610-0379/2014/1203
Forum Laudations
trout or grayling in the streams of my homeland Styria. It is impossible to become acquainted with Wolfram, without realizing that he in his remarkable way has enriched your life. Dear Wolfram, I hope a lucky star continues to accompany you! Helmut Kerl, Graz
Wolfram Sterry: Writer and Editor Although I first met Wolfram Sterry at the DDG Congress on Sylt in 1980, our lives became intertwined through the creation of this journal. Around the turn of the century, Wolfram called me and said the DDG was considering starting its own journal and asking if I would help. As the dreams became reality, Wolfram was the acting editor for a few months in fall 2002 before Eva Bröcker and Peter Fritsch assumed their duties as Founding Editors. Three years later he became Editor-in-Chief and asked me to join him as Associate Editor. We were jointly responsible for the JDDG for six years from 2006 through 2011. Our first pledges to ourselves were to make quick fair decisions and never try to blame each other for mistakes. I believe we succeeded. I learned a great deal from Wolfram. Despite overwhelming institutional, national and international demands, he always made time for the journal. He showed an uncanny ability to identify politically sensitive situations and avoid or ameliorate them. Under his leadership, with the aggressive support of Harald Gollnick, the JDDG became a truly bilingual journal – German on paper and English online. This model made it possible for a primarily German journal to get an impact factor in 2010. In addition, Wolfram has written and edited Checkliste Dermatologie through sixth German editions, numerous
Correspondence to Helmut Kerl, MD Department of Dermatology Medical University of Graz Auenbruggerplatz 8 8036 Graz, Austria E-mail: [email protected]
translations and now an electronic version due out in 2014. Checkliste is very much his baby, despite the participation of a number of other editors, and provides a superb reflection of how he feels one should learn and practice dermatology. He also has written or edited a student textbook, guideline compilations, and books on a diverse range of subjects including dermatologic diagnostic procedures and dermatologic therapy. While the written legacy of Wolfram Sterry is large, his personal impact is even more impressive. We are lucky he wound up in dermatology, as he would have been a success in any field he tackled. In addition, he has shown amazing personal courage in recent years battling a serious medical condition. Wolfram, thank you for all you have done for me, but more importantly, for all you have done for the JDDG, the DDG and German-speaking dermatology. Walter Burgdorf, Tutzing Correspondence to Walter Burgdorf, MD Traubinger Straße 45A 82327 Tutzing, Germany E-mail: [email protected]
© 2014 Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft (DDG). Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. | JDDG | 1610-0379/2014/1203
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