Werner Schunk – DoctorsTalents

Prof. Dr. Werner Schunk has traveled to more than 100 countries in his lifetime. His curiosity about people in other cultures, their way of life, and their art has repeatedly led him to board trains, cars, buses, airplanes, rickety helicopters, and the suspiciously light boats of the locals. He wanted to see with his own eyes how the indigenous people of Papua New Guinea, the Amazon, or Madagascar live, and always stayed for a while. Rich in impressions, insights, and the gratitude of the people, he returned home, bringing back rare works of art as souvenirs. He will exhibit some of these extraordinary mementos at the KunstForum Gotha from October 2, 2020, to March 28, 2021, combining them with interesting anecdotes and tips from his work as a physician and brain researcher.

The astonishingly universal life’s work of Professor Werner Schunk is anchored in his hometown of Gotha. He was born in Sundhausen, trained as a metalworker in railroad car manufacturing, and just a few years after completing his medical studies, became a company doctor. When practice space became scarce, he treated people from Gotha East in his apartment. For the rubber combine, he systematized poisons, their effects, and their treatment. Schunk shared the findings of his work with other researchers from Sweden, Great Britain, and America. He later traveled to Japan and India to help people suffering from Parkinson’s disease with his “Way of Schunk” treatment method. Thanks to his extensive knowledge and experience, he became Director of the Institute for Occupational Medicine and Vice-Rector of the Medical Academy in Erfurt, while also serving on the Gotha City Council and for the Perthes Forum in Gotha.

The core of Professor Werner Schunk’s research is the miracle of the brain. He knows it with incredible precision, down to the most complex biochemical processes, yet has never lost his sense of wonder. He calls this mysterious organ a work of art capable of thinking, feeling, and moving. He explored it so extensively and persistently that he became one of the first people in the world to discover that the brain’s own metabolism can be severely disrupted by manganese. From then on, he could have only hung around at receptions and accepted numerous prizes and honors. But then he swapped his fine suit for a doctor’s coat and tropical clothing to be where true art is created: among people.

He has published 800 scientific publications and lectures, as well as ten scientific books. He holds 68 patents, including those for biomaterials.