Volk, Cornelius

Orthopaedist

born: 12.10.1908 in Wiesbaden

died: 03.05.1977 in Schlangenbad

Volk studied medicine in Frankfurt am Main, Berlin and Tübingen. From 1935-39, he specialized in orthopaedics. After briefly working as a specialist in Fürth, he was called up for military service during the Second World War and was a staff doctor in various military hospitals.

In 1946, he was appointed head physician at the Orthopaedic Clinic in Wiesbaden ("Alfred-Erich-Heim"). As the building had been destroyed during the Second World War, patient care was initially provided at the Bad Schwalbach Orthopaedic Clinic at the beginning of his time as head physician. In 1947, he moved the provisional clinic to the Villa Burgeff in Hochheim. Reconstruction of the main building of the Wiesbaden orthopaedics clinic began in 1950, but the building was not returned to its original purpose until 1955. Just as committed as he had been to ensuring medical care during the provisional period, he now pushed ahead with the consistent expansion and modernization of the Wiesbaden Orthopaedic Clinic.

As state physician for the physically disabled, he provided decisive impetus for the creation of a modern care structure. In addition, his own work laid the foundations for a documentation system that was used not only in Hesse but throughout Germany for over 30 years. As Deputy Chairman of the Wiesbaden District Association of the German Red Cross, he also rendered great services to the expansion of the infrastructure of medical treatment and care services.

After retiring as Chief Physician of the Wiesbaden Orthopaedic Clinic in 1973, he ran an orthopaedic practice in Schlangenbad. For his life's work, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit, the Silver Citizen's Medal of the City of Wiesbaden, the Letter of Honor of the State of Hesse, the Silver Badge of Honor of the State Welfare Association of Hesse (LWV) and the DRK Badge of Honor.