Stephan Tanneberger facts for kids
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Stephan Tanneberger (born December 27, 1935 – died March 5, 2018) was a German doctor who specialized in cancer and also a chemist. He held important jobs in cancer research and treatment in East Germany. From 1974 to 1990, he was the director of the Central Institute of Cancer Research. In 1991, he left Germany to work in palliative care (comfort care for seriously ill patients) for cancer patients in Italy and in many countries around the world. In 2005, he started a center for peace work in Anklam, Germany.
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Stephan Tanneberger's Early Life and Education
Stephan Tanneberger was born in 1935 in Chemnitz, Germany. In 1954, he started studying medicine and chemistry at the University of Leipzig. He earned his Ph.D. (a high-level degree in science) in 1961 and his M.D. (medical doctor degree) in 1964. He completed another advanced degree called a Habilitation in 1970.
Leading Cancer Research in East Germany
In 1971, Stephan Tanneberger began working as a senior doctor at the Central Institute of Cancer Research in Berlin-Buch. This institute was part of the Academy of Sciences of East Germany. He quickly moved up, becoming chief physician in 1972 and deputy director in 1973.
After the first director passed away, Stephan Tanneberger was made a professor in 1974. He then became the director of the institute. He led the national program for cancer research and control in East Germany until January 1990. From 1989, he also led the Center for Medical Sciences, which organized all the medical institutes of the Academy of Sciences.
Helping Patients Around the World
After Germany became one country again in 1990, Tanneberger left Germany. He worked as an advisor for the World Health Organization (WHO) in many countries, including Bangladesh, India, North Korea, and Albania.
In 1993, he started working for Associazione Nazionale Tumori (ANT). This is an Italian group that provides comfort care for cancer patients at home. They also work on preventing cancer. A year later, he became the Secretary-General of ANT International. By 2000, he was the scientific director of Instituto ANT.
Since 1992, he was also a professor at the University of Bologna in Italy. From 2005, he led a program for the European School of Oncology. This program helps improve education and share information about cancer control in countries like Armenia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Georgia, Romania, and the Ukraine. He also directed the Euro-Arab School of Oncology starting in 2008.
Working for Peace and the Environment
Besides his medical work, Stephan Tanneberger was also very active in peace efforts. In 2004, he started a foundation called the "Center for Peace Work" in Anklam, Germany. He was the chairman of this foundation.
He helped restore a former prison in Anklam that was used during World War II. He also worked on a project called "Forest for Peace and against Climate Change." This project is part of the Billion Tree Campaign by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which aims to plant many trees around the world.
Stephan Tanneberger was married from 1970 to 2000. He had one son and two daughters. He passed away from cancer in 2018.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Stephan Tanneberger received many awards for his important work. In 1986, he was given the special title "Merited Scientist of the GDR" (East Germany). The Academy of Sciences of East Germany made him a member in 1981 and a full member in 1989. In March 2012, he received the "Silver Seal" from the University of Bologna.
Books by Stephan Tanneberger
- The Control of Tumour Growth and its Biological Bases. Boston and Den Haag, 1983
- Cancer In Developing Countries: The Great Challenge For Oncology In The 21st Century. Munich, 2004
- Cancer Medicine At The Dawn Of The 21st Century. Bologna, 2006
- ESMO Handbook of Advanced Cancer Care. London and New York, 2006
