Cuntz, Friedrich

Physician

born: 10.11.1852 in Heidelberg

died: 30.04.1910 in Wiesbaden

After Cuntz had nursed the wounded in Alsace as his father's assistant during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870/71, he began studying medicine in Heidelberg, Greifswald and Göttingen in 1872, graduating with a doctorate. This was followed by military service as a doctor in Kiel in 1878, and further studies took him to Vienna, Dresden and London before he settled in Wiesbaden.

Here he maintained a very popular practice. He also worked as a doctor for the poor and was familiar with the poor hygienic and health conditions in Wiesbaden's residential areas for the poor. Through his examinations at Wiesbaden elementary schools following the outbreak of a scabies epidemic, he recognized the need to set up a school medical service, which he initiated together with city councillor Friedrich (Fritz) Kalle. The magistrate decided to introduce it in 1896, initially in the form of a part-time medical service.

In responsible positions in national and international associations, Cuntz worked to standardize the work of school doctors. He became an advocate of the school medical service as a full-time professional medical activity and called for a further development of the mere diagnosis of health defects in children into their systematic treatment, which he did not consider to be the task of school doctors. He advocated a free choice of doctor, even for children without means, and the necessity of caring measures to improve public health.

In 1907, Cuntz was appointed medical councillor; he was awarded the Order of the Red Eagle and the Military Service Cross. Cuntz is buried in the North Cemetery. The gravestone has a bas-relief showing him in an antique pose as a doctor handing medicine to two children.