Paul Lazarus

Paul Lazarus (1873–1957) was a prominent German physician and academic, holding roles such as Registrar Physician at the Charité Medical Clinic under Ernst von Leyden, Titular Professor (1907), and later Professor of Internal Medicine. He served as Chief Consultant at St. Marien and St. Antonius Hospitals. A pioneer in modern radiooncology, Lazarus authored the seminal Handbook of Radiation Therapy (1928–1931) and conducted groundbreaking research on radium irradiation. Despite his conversion to Catholicism in 1896 and his vision of hospitals as “temples of Caritas,” he was classified as “non-Aryan” under Nazi policies, losing his teaching license (1933) and medical position (1936). He emigrated to Switzerland in 1937 but faced professional exclusion there.

• Key Roles: Associate Professor (1921), Head of Private Clinics (post-1910), Chief Consultant (St. Marien/St. Antonius).
• Research Focus: Radiation therapy efficacy, oncology, and clinical medicine.
• Persecution: Stripped of licenses due to Nazi racial laws; passports marked with discriminatory names (“Israel”/“Sarah”).

His legacy includes advancing radiotherapy and advocating for socio-medical approaches in healthcare.