Frank W. Stahnisch: «Der Rosenthal’sche Versuch» oder: Über den Ort produktiver
Forschung – Zur Exkursion des physiologischen Experimentallabors von Isidor Rosenthal (1836–1915) von der Stadt aufs Land

The disciplinary development of the new science of experimental physiology is often associated with the conditions of cultural development and increasingly technical working contexts of the Industrial Age. Following this perspective, the germ cells of 19th century institutes of experimental physiology were particularly found in the metropolises of Paris, Leipzig or Berlin. Only the major cities sat the revolutionary trends and within this general process, the scientific trends were no exceptions – the provincial research universities simply followed the central ones in their normal science endeavours. Due to this interpretation, the development of the scientific community was pre-formatted as the interplay of innovation (the city) and reception (the periphery). Isidor Rosenthal (1836–1915) was born in Labischin (District of Bromberg/Posen) in 1836 and got his medical training in Berlin. Like not many other experimental physiologists, he can be used as a historiographical testing probe, to follow the conditions of knowledge transfer from center to periphery: After his studies at the Friedrich Wilhelms University and the completion of his dissertation in 1859, Rosenthal entered the newly founded Physiological Institute in Berlin as the first Research Associate of Emil DuBois-Reymond (1818–1896). Rosenthal worked here particularly on the problem of “direct and indirect muscle irritation“ in frogs. These neurophysiological investigations led to his growing scientific renown. In 1872, Rosenthal became offered a first professorship in physiology at the Friedrich Alexander University in Bavaria, as one of only few Jewish scientists (and even before Wilhelm Wundt, 1832–1920). But his life and work proved not only exceptional because of his scientific achievements, but also due to his deep rootedness in cultural life – both during his time in Berlin and in Erlangen. By applying a comparative and microhistorical approach in this article, the working conditions of this scientific migrant from Berlin are scrutinized as to the changes that took place between the city and regional university.

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