Abstract
We note with sadness the passing of Klaus Gärtner. He was one of the founding fathers/pioneers of laboratory animal science in Germany. Born in Pirna, Saxony, Germany, on 7 April 1927, he grew up in Pirna, Dresden, Magdeburg and Berlin, and graduated from Humboldt University Veterinary School. Upon obtaining his doctorate (Dr. med. vet.), he initially joined the Clinic for Small Animals at Humboldt University, in East Berlin at that time, specializing in diseases of companion animals. Due to political incongruities, he had to leave his university position in 1958. He left East Berlin and joined the Institute of Physiology at Hannover Veterinary University. Thereafter, in 1964, he was appointed head of an Animal Research Facility to be established at Frankfurt Medical School. During all this time, his focus was directed at experimental pathophysiology, in particular kidney function, carbohydrate metabolism (diabetes), overcrowding and stress. Finally, Klaus Gärtner was appointed professor and director of the Institute of Laboratory Animal Science and the Central Animal Facility of Hannover Medical School, an institution which he built up with great knowledge and emphasis and which was one of the first leading animal research facilities in Germany. More than 100 publications in scientific journals and handbooks show the extent of his clinical and experimental research in nephrology, physiology, endocrinology and laboratory animal science. His achievements in laboratory animal science are multifaceted. He promoted the foundation of the Gesellschaft für Versuchstierkunde (Society of Laboratory Animal Science) (GV-SOLAS), the first laboratory animal science association in Europe, for which he served as honorary secretary during its first years in 1964–1969. He was member and co-chair of the Commission for Laboratory Animal Research of the German Research Council. He served as a reviewer for many research projects, as a consultant for governmental and science organizations, and as a protagonist for freedom of research, publicly promoting ethically based animal research and welfare. From 1973 on, he coordinated the research unit ‘SFB 146, Laboratory Animal Research’ with three funding periods of three years and 15 to 20 projects funded in parallel, with the aim of establishing quality criteria for laboratory animal science (reported under ISBN 3-527-27717-X). Over the course of his research career, Klaus Gärtner established a national and international reputation and was awarded several recognitions, for example honorary professorship at Hannover Veterinary University and Ludwig-Schunk-Award from Giessen University. He will be sadly missed as counsellor, mentor, supporter and open-minded audience.
André Bleich and Hans-Jürgen Hedrich
November 2017