Köhler, Alban

Radiologist

Born: 01.03.1874 in Petsa near Rositz (Thuringia)

died: 26.02.1947 in Niederselters

Alban Köhler was born the son of a farmer near Altenburg in Thuringia. After attending the village school in Monstab, Köhler first transferred to the Realgymnasium and later to the humanistic grammar school in Altenburg, from which he graduated in 1893. Köhler then studied medicine in Freiburg, Leipzig, Berlin and Erlangen. He was awarded his doctorate in Freiburg in 1897 and passed the state examination a year later.

After completing his studies, Köhler worked as an assistant to pathologist Christian Schmorl in Dresden in 1898. He then did his military service in Freiburg and Dresden for six months each. In Freiburg, Köhler was assigned to the 113 Infantry Regiment. In Dresden, he was a sub-staff doctor with the Pioneer Battalion 12. Köhler remained a reservist even after his military service and was promoted to the rank of reserve staff doctor.

Between 1899 and 1902, Köhler was assistant physician to the surgeon Friedrich Cramer at St. Josef's Hospital in Wiesbaden. In 1902, he set up his own practice in Wiesbaden's Paulinenstraße. Köhler was the first German doctor to call himself a specialist in radiology. He is considered a pioneer of radiology. In 1905, he co-founded the German Radiology Society and was elected its first chairman in 1912.

In addition to his work as a specialist, Köhler conducted research in his practice. He was not only a diagnostician, but also used X-rays for therapy. To this end, he developed techniques that enabled deep irradiation. He published his research findings with great success. In particular, his book "Grenzen des Normalen und Anfange des Pathologischen im Röntgenbilde" has been published in 14 editions to date and translated into many languages. In 1913, Duke Ernst of Saxony awarded him the title of professor at the medical faculty of the University of Jena for his scientific work.

During the First World War, he was employed as a radiologist at the reserve hospitals in Wiesbaden. In October 1915, Köhler also worked for a few weeks as a radiologist at the General Headquarters.

After the war, he resumed his practice in Wiesbaden. After the National Socialists seized power, Köhler joined various Nazi organizations. He had been a member of the "Stahlhelm - Bund der Frontsoldaten" since 1933 and joined the SA on November 8, 1933. In the SA, he held the position of medical squad leader. He was also a member of the DAF and the NSFK. He also held the position of medical squad leader in the NSFK.

Alban Kohler applied to join the NSDAP on June 9, 1937 and was admitted to the party on March 1, 1939. Between 1938 and 1945, Kohler was also a member of the NS-Reichsbund für Leibesübungen, the organization "Kraft durch Freude", the NS-Altherrenbund and the NS-Ärztebund.

Alban Köhler was also a member of the NSDAP Main Office for Public Health, at least for a time. These offices were located at Reich, Gau and district level. In Wiesbaden, the office was located in the Landeshaus. The offices for public health were founded as an "alternative party-official structure" to upgrade the public health service. The public health service quickly developed into the decisive field of action for population and health policy determined by racial hygiene. The Nazi doctors' functionaries counteracted this through an official party alternative structure. A large number of doctors and dentists were members of Nazi organizations, which is why health management (at least health promotion) was to be directly integrated into the Nazi movement.

The offices for public health had a broad base. The total of 620 offices had around 30,000 members. In the administrative office of the Wiesbaden office, 107 doctors were licensed. The core task of the doctors registered with the Office of Public Health was to examine party cadres at district and local level. They were responsible for the health registers and were therefore a decisive starting point for health management and hereditary care in line with racial-biological objectives.

Alban Köhler worked for the NSDAP Main Office for Public Health in Wiesbaden. In this function, Köhler also guided groups through the "Volk und Rasse" exhibition, which was shown in Wiesbaden in October 1936. Köhler was assigned to the SA group tours.

In August 1938, at the age of 64, Alban Kohler enlisted for military service as a reserve medical officer. However, he did not see active service in the Wehrmacht, as Kohler was made "indispensable" because he was needed to provide medical care for the civilian population.

After the end of the war in 1945, the Spruchkammer conducted proceedings against Alban Köhler. The chamber classified the radiologist in Group 4 ("fellow travelers") and sentenced him to pay 100 RM in "atonement payments".

In the Bierstadt district, a street was named after Alban Köhler by resolution of the city council on May 12, 1961. Numerous other streets in the immediate vicinity were named after leading doctors. Due to his membership of several National Socialist organizations (NSDAP, SA, DAF, NSFK, NSRL, NSDAB, NSDAP-Hauptamt für Volksgesundheit, NS-Altherrenbund, Kraft durch Freude and the Reichsschrifttumskammer due to his profession) and his assumption of functions and support of the Nazi state, the Historical Expert Commission appointed by resolution of the City Council in 2020 to review traffic areas, buildings and facilities named after people in the state capital of Wiesbaden recommended the contextualization of Alban Köhler Strasse. The decision also took into account Köhler's membership of the "Stahlhelm" as a nationalist group before 1933 and the guided tour for members of the SA through the exhibition "Volk und Rasse" as well as the ideological proximity to National Socialism articulated in this way.