[Dr. Jakob Lutz, life and work].

Abstract

The life and work of the Zurich child and youth psychiatrist, Prof. Dr. med. J. Lutz, (25.1.1903 - 28.6.1998) is the subject of this report. It documents the outstanding achievements of Jakob Lutz as a doctor and scientist and tries to give a true portrayal of his impressive personality. A biographical part is dedicated to the personal and professional development of the son of a family of train drivers from Appenzell, who, after studying medicine in Zurich, became the founder of the child and youth psychiatric service in the Canton of Zurich. A detailed report is given on the formation of the child an youth psychiatric service in the Canton of Zurich over almost 40 years. It begins in 1929, when med. prakt. Jakob Lutz took over management of the Stephansburg, the first observation unit for child psychiatry in Switzerland, and ends in 1968, when he retired, after becoming Director of the service an both extraordinary professor and honorary professor for child an youth psychiatry. Discussions on different forms of therapy in child an youth psychiatry include ideas on the therapeutic activity of Jakob Lutz himself and his demands on the personality and training of therapist in child and youth psychiatry. The chapter on child schizophrenia, autism and mentally handicapped children deals with special patient groups. All the chapters report on the specific medical scientific work of Jakob Lutz, always supplemented with quotations from his personal statements. Finally, there is also a brief assessment of the successor in the service, Prof. Dr. med. J. Corboz, the first ordinary professor for child and youth psychiatry at the University of Zurich. A list of Jakob Lutz's publications, a list of the lecture titles, and time charts supplement the report.