Ferdinand Mainzer (16 January 1871 – 3 January 1943) was a German-Jewish

gynaecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with the field of obstetrics, forming the combined ar ...

and historical author. Born 16 January 1871,Thomas Corinth, ed., ''Lovis Corinth: eine Dokumentation'', Wasmuth, 1979, p.377 Mainzer wrote his doctoral dissertation on

wandering spleen Wandering spleen (or pelvic spleen) is a rare medical disease caused by the loss or weakening of the ligaments that help to hold the spleen stationary. Symptoms and signs Although symptoms include an enlargement in the size of the spleen, or a ch ...

. In the 1890s he worked at the Berlin clinic of the gynecologist

Leopold Landau Leopold Landau (July 16, 1848 – December 28, 1920) was a German gynecologist born in Warsaw. Life and career Landau studied medicine at the Universities of Breslau, Würzburg and Berlin, obtaining his doctorate at the latter institution i ...

. Mainzer had artistic connections and historical interests. He married Gertrud Sabersky, a student of the artist Walter Leistikow, and his own portrait was painted by

Lovis Corinth Lovis Corinth (21 July 1858 – 17 July 1925) was a German artist and writer whose mature work as a painter and printmaker realized a synthesis of impressionism and expressionism. Corinth studied in Paris and Munich, joined the Berlin S ...

in 1899. After a hand injury meant that he could no longer perform surgery, he turned to writing about antiquity.Konrad Weber,
Prof. Dr. Dr. Friedrich Erxleben
October 2008. He was interested in

numismatics Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects. Specialists, known as numismatists, are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, but the discipline also inclu ...

, and a friend of the numismatist

Edward Gans Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sax ...

. His biography of Julius Caesar was translated into French and English, and widely reviewed. The book inspired

Thornton Wilder Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes — for the novel ''The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays '' Our Town'' and '' The Skin of Our Teeth'' — ...

to write his own novel about Caesar, '' The Ides of March''. Mainzer was a close friend of the Catholic priest Friedrich von Erxleben, who was a member of the

Solf Circle The Solf Circle (german: Solf-Kreis) was an informal gathering of German intellectuals involved in the resistance against Nazi Germany. Most members were arrested and executed after attending a tea party in Berlin on 10 September 1943 at the resid ...

of intellectuals involved in the resistance against

Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

. Mainzer and his family were helped to escape to England by the daughter of

Wilhelm Wilhelm may refer to: People and fictional characters * William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm" * Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Other uses * Mount ...

and Hanna Solf, the Countess So'oa'emalelagi "Lagi" von Ballestrem-Solf, who escorted them with their jewellery hidden in the lining of her clothes. Mainzer died 3 January 1943. His daughter Luci Manén married

Otto John Otto John (19 March 1909 – 26 March 1997) was a German lawyer and intelligence official. During World War Two, he was a conspirator in the 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Following the war, he became the first head of West Ge ...

in 1949. He also had a son Max Mainzer (1902–1987) who married Eva Perlis (1908–2006). In May 2021, a portrait of Ferdinand Mainzer by

was accepted for the nation in lieu of a UK inheritance tax bill."Two UK galleries to share portrait of German doctor who resisted Nazis"
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'' Corinth also painted a portrait of Max entitled ''Max Mainzer with a Siberian Greyhound'' (1912).

Works

* ''Wandermilz und Splenektomie'', München: J. F. Lehmann, 1892 * 'Das Dekadrachmon von Athen', ''Zeitschrift für Numismatik'', vol. 36 (1926), pp. 37–54 * ''Siciliana aus griechisch-römischer Zeit'', Berlin: Klinkhardt & Biermann, 1930. * ''Clodia: Politik und Liebe auf dem Palatin'', Berlin: Klinkhardt & Biermann, 1931. * ''Der Kampf um Caesars Erbe'', Leipzig: E.P. Tal, 1934. Translated by

Eden Eden may refer to: * Garden of Eden, the "garden of God" described in the Book of Genesis Places and jurisdictions Canada * Eden, Ontario * Eden High School Middle East * Eden, Lebanon, a city and former bishopric * Camp Eden, Iraq O ...

and

Cedar Paul Cedar Paul, ''née'' Gertrude Mary Davenport (1880 – 18 March 1972) was a singer, author, translator and journalist.''Who Was Who'' Biography Gertrude Davenport came from a musical family: she was the granddaughter of the composer George Ale ...

as ''Caesar's mantle; the end of the Roman republic'', New York: Viking, 1936.

References

1871 births 1943 deaths German gynaecologists 20th-century German historians Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United Kingdom German male non-fiction writers {{Germany-med-bio-stub