If you know about the Paralympic games, you must thank Ludwig Guttmann. Ludwig was a German-British Neurologist famous for establishing Stoke Mandeville Games. The same sporting event evolved into the Paralympic games in England.
He fled Nazi Germany before the wake of the Second World War. He is deemed the Father of Organized Physical Activities for people with physical disabilities.
If you want to know about this notable personality, this article might help. Here is a brief sketch of Ludwig’s life and contribution to the world of medical science.
Who Is Ludwig Guttmann?
Ludwig Guttmann is the father of the Paralympic games. He is a German British German Neurologist. The world knows him because he was the first to introduce a competition for wheelchair athletes. He named this competition the Stoke Mandeville Games.
This Game later came to be known as the Paralympic games over time. The first-ever Game involved 16 injured people (servicemen and women) in a wheelchair. All of them took part in archery.
He was a leading neurologist who worked at the Jewish Hospital Breslau in Germany. But he fled from Germany and went to Britain before the second world war.
Early Life
Ludwig Guttmann was born in the town of Tost, Upper Silesia, on July 3, 1899. He is the son of Dorothy and Bernard Guttmann. When Guttman was only three years old, his family moved to the Silesian City of Konigshutte.
The idea bloomed when he was helping at an accident hospital in Konigshutte in 1917. It was the first time when Lugwig Guttman saw the first paraplegic patient. The patient was a coal miner who had a spinal fracture.
Also, he died of sepsis later. In the same year, Guttman passed his Abitur from Humanistic Grammar School in Konigshutte. Later he was called up for military service. In 1917, he started his medical studies at the University of Breslau. In 1919, he transferred to the university of Freiburg. He received his Doctorate in Medicine in 1924.
Why Is Ludwig Guttmann Called The Father Of The Paralympic?
Ludwig Guttmann is called the father of paralympic. But there is a story behind becoming the father of the Paralympic games. He used to be Jewish, and he left German during the rise of the Nazis. He moved to England.
In 1944, Ludwig became the head of the NSICS at Stoke Mandeville Hospital located in Aylesbury. He remained there until retiring in 1966. Guttman came up with the concept of sports for disabled people. Most importantly, he came up with early treatment for the servicemen and women who were injured.
He came up with compulsory sports activities to rehabilitate, integrate, and motivate injured people. Ludwig started an archery contest. He started a contest between 16 people. The event was held on July 29, 1948, and it coincided with the Olympic Games held in London.
The Game was named after the Stoke Mandeville games. In 1952, the event became international. Also, with Guttman’s help, the International Stoke Mandeville Games Committee was founded.
Paralympic Games
The Stoke Mandeville Games were held in Rome in the 1960s. Several weeks before, Rome also hosted the Olympic games. For the first time in the 1960s. The Game was named Paralympic Games, and they featured 23 countries and 400 athletes. It became a quadrennial event subsequently. Also, it was staged in the same year as the Olympic Games.
Later, they started to have the Paralympic winter games starting in 1976, which was held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. Aside from his contribution to Paralympic Games, Guttman also contributed largely to the medical sector.
Other Contributions
Guttman was the founder of the International Medical Society of Paraplegia. It later came to be known as the ISCS or International Spinal Cord Society. In 1961, Guttman served as the first president of the same organization and remained in the position until 1970.
Read More: How to Encourage Your Teen to Get Involved in Sports?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
Here are some questions about Ludwig Guttmann. The answers might be helpful to you. David Guttman
Ans: Ludwig Guttman, also known as Sir Ludwig Poppa, is known as the father of the Paralympic Movement. He was a pioneer doctor who made disabled sports a reality. He made disabled sports as exciting as non-disabled sports. At Stoke Mandeville, he took charge of the National Spinal Injuries Unit in 1943.
Ans: Guttman is the father of the Paralympics, who started the sport after taking charge of the Stoke Mandeville National Spinal Injury Unit. He made 16 disabled servicemen and women take part in an archery competition.
Guttman has served as the President of the ISOD. His efforts rewarded him with many awards and honors. In 1966 he was Knighted.
Ans: Swimmer Trischa Zorn from America is the winner of the most Paralympic medals, making her the greatest paralympic ever. She has won 55 medals, and 41 of them are gold medals.
Bottom Line
As a doctor, Ludwig Guttmann has made a huge contribution to the world. He left a legacy behind by establishing Paralympic Games. His life’s work in the care of the spinal cord is remarkable. BBC even aired a broadcast based on his life named “The Best Of Men.” Ludwig Guttmann is both a great doctor and a pioneer of society.
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