Richard Ernst Wilhelm Otto (9 November 1872 – 12 August 1952) was a German physician and bacteriologist, who served as director of the

Paul Ehrlich Institute The Paul Ehrlich Institute (German: ''Paul-Ehrlich-Institut – Bundesinstitut für Impfstoffe und biomedizinische Arzneimittel'', PEI) is a German Federal agency (Germany), federal agency, medical regulatory body and research institution for vacc ...

until 1948.

Career

Otto was born in Zimmerhausen. He obtained his doctorate in medicine in 1895 and served as a military physician at the Prussian Institute of Infectious Diseases in Berlin from 1902. He was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in 1903. From 1904 to 1907 he worked at the Royal Institute for Experimental Therapy in Frankfurt. He was appointed as a professor in 1906 and became a battalion physician and director of the bacteriological laboratory of the Army Medical Service in Hanover in 1907. From 1908 he taught at the Technical University of Hanover. He was promoted to

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

and left active military service in 1913. From 1913 he again worked at the Institute of Infectious Diseases. He was appointed Geheimer Medizinalrat (equivalent to

Geheimrat was the title of the highest advising officials at the imperial, royal, or princely courts of the Holy Roman Empire, who jointly formed the ''Geheimer Rat'' reporting to the ruler. The term remained in use during subsequent monarchic reigns in Ge ...

, i.e. Privy Councillor) in 1918 and was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel of the Reserve in 1920. In 1935 he returned to the Institute for Experimental Therapy. He became adjunct professor at the

University of Berlin The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humbol ...

in 1935 and at the

Goethe University Frankfurt Goethe University Frankfurt () is a public research university located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was founded in 1914 as a citizens' university, which means it was founded and funded by the wealthy and active liberal citizenry of Frankfurt ...

in 1936. He was a member of the scientific council of the Army Medical Service from 1942. From 1938 to 1948 he was the director of the Institute for Experimental Therapy, which was renamed the Paul Ehrlich Institute during his tenure. In the postwar era he was one of the editors of the textbook series ''Grenzgebiete der Medizin''. He retired from his office as director of the Paul Ehrlich Institute in August 1948. Hans Schlossberger: "Geheimer Medizinalrat Prof. Dr. Richard Otto." ''Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift'' 78 (1953). He died in Frankfurt, aged 79.

Honours

Aronson Prize The Aronson Prize () is a prize awarded for achievements in microbiology and immunology. It was established by the will of the pediatrician and bacteriologist Hans Aronson and has been awarded since 1921. Aronson bequeathed a large part of his es ...

(1931) * Fellow of the

Academy of Sciences Leopoldina The German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina (), in short Leopoldina, is the national academy of Germany, and is located in Halle (Saale). Founded on 1 January 1652, based on academic models in Italy, it was originally named the ''Academi ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Otto, Richard German bacteriologists German military doctors Paul Ehrlich Institute people Robert Koch Institute people Academic staff of Leibniz University Hannover Academic staff of the Humboldt University of Berlin Academic staff of Goethe University Frankfurt Scientists from Berlin Scientists from Frankfurt 20th-century German physicians 1872 births 1952 deaths Medical Microbiology and Immunology editors