Wilhelm Griesinger (1817-1868) - his concept of psychiatry from historicaland current perspectives

Thorough re-analysis of Wilhelm Griesinger's scientific work is very intere sting not only from the historical point of view, but also with regard to t he present-day debate about the role and self-image of psychiatry. In the l iterature, Griesinger's ideas are often reported in a rather undifferentiat ed and condensed manner. Therefore, it may be overlooked that he did not av oid getting involved with the principal epistemological issues of psychiatr y (which were an unpopular topic in his time as well), but discussed them i ntensively and with a constant look at their relevance for clinical and res earch purposes.