From follower to "persona non grata"? The life and work of Georg Axhausen (1877-1960), including his role in the Third Reich

Georg Axhausen is considered the doyen of German cranio-maxillofacial surgery-although he only decided to take a second degree in dentistry and switch from general to maxillofacial surgery at the age of almost 50. This article highlights Axhausen's extraordinary life and work as well as his scientific and professional influence on cranio-maxillofacial surgery. Special attention is paid to his political attitude during the Third Reich. The study is largely based on primary sources from the Federal Archives Berlin-Lichterfelde and contemporary writings by and about Axhausen. In addition, a comprehensive evaluation of the available secondary literature was carried out. An evaluation of the sources shows that Georg Axhausen had a pivotal influence on the upcoming discipline-from a scientific, operative, and professional-political point of view. Moreover, he went down in medical history as the first describer of "aseptic necrosis". In the Third Reich he initially appeared to be politically loyal. However, after 1935 he developed a noticeable distance to the Nazi "health policy", which led to his request for emeritus status in 1939. Subsequently, Axhausen came to terms with those in power and again took on important professional tasks. However, he remained distant from the NSDAP until the end of the war.