[The Contributions of the East-German Sports Medicine Specialist and Neurologist Bernhard Schwarz (1918-1991) in the Field of Boxing]

[History of neurology in the GDR: a systematic review]

BACKGROUND

Neurology as a discipline developed differently in the two German states after 1945 and little is known about neurology in the GDR.

OBJECTIVE

This article examines the present state of historical research on neurology in the GDR.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We systematically screened the existing literature from the period 1991-2021 and assigned the studies to different categories.

RESULTS

We found significant regional differences in the way specific topics are addressed. We also identified a lack of a general overview on the subject and a lack of studies dealing with neurology within the specific socio-political context of the GDR. Comparative studies between the GDR and the BRD and between the GDR and other countries are also scarce.

CONCLUSION

Further systematic research (in the form of a separate research project) into the history of neurology in the GDR and its role within the socialist healthcare system of the GDR is needed, taking comparative aspects into account.