Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans-Ludwig Schreiber (✝)
The Center for Medical Law mourns the loss of its "founding father," Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Hans-Ludwig Schreiber.>With Hans-Ludwig Schreiber, the Center loses a highly renowned pioneer not only in the institutionalization of medical law in Göttingen but also in the academic field of "medical law" as a whole, in Germany and beyond national borders. He was a significant co-founder of the Göttingen Research Center for Physician and Pharmaceutical Law in 1979, which later evolved into the Göttingen Center for Medical Law. Over decades, he addressed virtually all central issues of medical and bio law: from the duty of medical disclosure, the law of organ transplantation, and euthanasia to biomedical research involving humans. With his extensive scientific work and numerous academic lectures, he was a sought-after expert in advisory roles, such as in the drafting of the Transplantation Act, while also serving as a key bridge builder to the fields of clinical medicine, medical ethics, and theology.
This was evident in his interdisciplinary work in prominent roles and on significant topics: for example, the first recommendations of the German Medical Association on end-of-life care bear his imprint. For many years, he chaired the Standing Commission on Organ Transplantation of the German Medical Association, which appointed him "Honorary Chairman for Life" after his retirement in 2006. Two honorary doctorates from the medical faculties in Göttingen and Halle attest to his unique reputation in medicine and the medical profession. For many years, he also served in a leading role in the "Physicians and Lawyers Working Group" of the AWMF (Association of the Scientific Medical Societies).
With the passing of Hans-Ludwig Schreiber, a great figure in medical law has left us. Those who ever encountered him, whether as colleagues in law, medicine, or theology, as staff members, doctoral/habilitation candidates, or as enthusiastic students in the lecture hall, will always remember him with lively joy and the utmost respect.
The Göttingen Center for Medical Law will preserve his memory with honor.