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History of the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
(Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Kieferchirurgie)
Already in the 1920s a board certification for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery was established in Germany that required double qualification. From 1924 on a three years residency became mandatory. Detailed regulations for the training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery were established in 1935. Consequently, the precursor of the Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Kieferchirurgie) was founded already in 1932 by Georg Axhausen (1877-1960), who was the head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Berlin at that time, Wolfgang Rosenthal (1882-1972), who became the head of this department in 1950, and Christian Bruhn (1869-1942), who was the head of the West German Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Westdeutsche Kieferklinik) in Düsseldorf. They named it German Society for Stomatology. In 1935 the name was changed to “Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Kieferchirurgie” (German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgey) in 1935. The German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery aimed at bringing together oral and maxillofacial surgeons with double qualification and dentists interested in surgical aspects in their field, because Axhausen felt that there was need for establishing regulations for a board certification in Oral Surgery. The bylaws stated that it was the mission of the Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery “to give a clear definition of the specialty “Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery” for doctors as well as dentists, who intended to practice in this field. Eligible members of the Academy are surgeons as well as dentists who have proven their dedication to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery either scientifically or on a professional basis”.
In the early years the meetings of the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery were included in the annual conventions of the German Society of Dental, Oral and Craniomandibular Sciences (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde). The first separate conference of the Academy was held in 1938 in Berlin with the main topic “Oral Surgery”. From that time on an annual conference was established.
In 1945 the short history of the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery came to a temporary end. However, in 1951 it was re-established by Walter Sauvlet (1885-1965) and ten colleagues as a reaction to the foundation of the Professional Union of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Germany (“Verband der Fachärzte für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferkrankheiten”) in 1950. Sauvlet and Axhausen, the honorary chairman of the new German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, feared that if Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery was only represented by the Professional Union of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Germany, the aspect of dentistry in the field would lose its central role, although dentistry was supposed to be of utmost importance in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Again it was the aim of the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery to support the development of the specialty in a symbiosis of surgery and dentistry.
At the first conference of the new Academy in 1952 it was emphasized again in the bylaws that “it is the mission of the Academy to create a clear and consistent vision of the role of dentists practicing in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery”.
In 1958 the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery concluded an agreement with the Professional Union of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Germany in a way that the Union would be responsible for the advocacy of professional interests of the specialty while the Academy would take care of the scientific progress in the field. From that time on the different orientations of the two organizations were clearly defined. A comparable agreement was made with the Professional Association of German Oral Surgeons (“Berufsverband Deutscher Oralchirurgen”) in 1988.
One of the major activities of the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery together with the German Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery was the patronage for the foundation of the German-Swiss-Austrian Group on Maxillofacial Tumors (DOESAK, “Deutsch-Österreichisch-Schweizerischen Arbeitskreis für Tumoren im Kiefer- und Gesichtsbereich“) that was established in 1971 and was dedicated to a systematic documentation of all tumors in the field.
The annual conference of the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery gives life to scientific, practice orientated and social activities of the members. From 1963 on it has been held in Bad Homburg with only few interruptions until today. The conference traditionally takes place around Ascension Day. Today, the audience does have the opportunity to attend both scientific lectures and practical hands on workshops as well as a program dedicated to continuing education in oral surgery.
The German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery has been involved in joint conferences starting from 1962 when the German Society of Dental, Oral and Craniomandibular Sciences held the congress of the FDI. In 1971 the Academy organized a joint conference together with the International Association for Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology. In 1977 the Academy affiliated with the IAOMS and held the 8th ICOMS in Berlin in 1983 in order to underline its interest in international relations in the field.
Today, the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is one of the two major representatives of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Germany with the mission of securing the scientific and practice orientated development of the specialty. In this context it has achieved a central role in the development of scientific guidelines in the field and runs one of the most important annual conferences on Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Honorary chairman
1951 Prof. Dr. Georg Axhausen (1877-1960)
Honorary members
1963 Dr. Walter Sauvlet (1885-1965)
1965 Prof. Dr. Dr. Hans W. Herrmann (1914-1976)
1984 Prof. Dr. Dr. David Haunfelder (1912-1989)
2008 Prof. Dr. Dr. Franz Härle
Chairmen
1932 Prof. Dr. Georg Axhausen (1877-1960)
1951 Dr. Walter Sauvlet (1885-1965)
1954 Prof. Dr. Dr. Heinrich Hammer (1891-1972)
1960 Priv.-Doz. Dr. Dr. Werner Hahn
1969 Prof. Dr. Dr. David Haunfelder
1974 Prof. Dr. Wilfried Schilli
1975 Prof. Dr. Dr. Wolfgang Hoppe
1979 Prof. Dr. Dr. Joachim Haym
1981 Prof. Dr. Dr. Dieter Pape
1983 Prof. Dr. Dr. Dieter Schettler
1985 Prof. Dr. Dr. Franz Härle
1989 Prof. Dr. Dr. Jarg-Erich Hausamen
1991 Prof. Dr. Peter Reichart
1995 Prof. Dr. Dr. Wilfried Wagner
1997 Prof. Dr. Dr. Bodo Hoffmeister
1999 Prof. Dr. Dr. Alexander Hemprich
2001 Prof. Dr. Jürgen Becker
2003 Prof. Dr. Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm Neukam
2005 Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wahl
2007 Prof. Dr. Dr. Torsten Eugen Reichert
2009 Prof. Dr. Dr. Henning Schliephake
2011 Prof. Dr. Dr. Klaus-Dietrich Wolff
2013 Prof. Dr. Dr. Jörg Wiltfang
Already in the 1920s a board certification for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery was established in Germany that required double qualification. From 1924 on a three years residency became mandatory. Detailed regulations for the training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery were established in 1935. Consequently, the precursor of the Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Kieferchirurgie) was founded already in 1932 by Georg Axhausen (1877-1960), who was the head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Berlin at that time, Wolfgang Rosenthal (1882-1972), who became the head of this department in 1950, and Christian Bruhn (1869-1942), who was the head of the West German Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Westdeutsche Kieferklinik) in Düsseldorf. They named it German Society for Stomatology. In 1935 the name was changed to “Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Kieferchirurgie” (German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgey) in 1935. The German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery aimed at bringing together oral and maxillofacial surgeons with double qualification and dentists interested in surgical aspects in their field, because Axhausen felt that there was need for establishing regulations for a board certification in Oral Surgery. The bylaws stated that it was the mission of the Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery “to give a clear definition of the specialty “Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery” for doctors as well as dentists, who intended to practice in this field. Eligible members of the Academy are surgeons as well as dentists who have proven their dedication to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery either scientifically or on a professional basis”.
In the early years the meetings of the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery were included in the annual conventions of the German Society of Dental, Oral and Craniomandibular Sciences (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde). The first separate conference of the Academy was held in 1938 in Berlin with the main topic “Oral Surgery”. From that time on an annual conference was established.
In 1945 the short history of the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery came to a temporary end. However, in 1951 it was re-established by Walter Sauvlet (1885-1965) and ten colleagues as a reaction to the foundation of the Professional Union of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Germany (“Verband der Fachärzte für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferkrankheiten”) in 1950. Sauvlet and Axhausen, the honorary chairman of the new German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, feared that if Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery was only represented by the Professional Union of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Germany, the aspect of dentistry in the field would lose its central role, although dentistry was supposed to be of utmost importance in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Again it was the aim of the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery to support the development of the specialty in a symbiosis of surgery and dentistry.
At the first conference of the new Academy in 1952 it was emphasized again in the bylaws that “it is the mission of the Academy to create a clear and consistent vision of the role of dentists practicing in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery”.
In 1958 the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery concluded an agreement with the Professional Union of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Germany in a way that the Union would be responsible for the advocacy of professional interests of the specialty while the Academy would take care of the scientific progress in the field. From that time on the different orientations of the two organizations were clearly defined. A comparable agreement was made with the Professional Association of German Oral Surgeons (“Berufsverband Deutscher Oralchirurgen”) in 1988.
One of the major activities of the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery together with the German Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery was the patronage for the foundation of the German-Swiss-Austrian Group on Maxillofacial Tumors (DOESAK, “Deutsch-Österreichisch-Schweizerischen Arbeitskreis für Tumoren im Kiefer- und Gesichtsbereich“) that was established in 1971 and was dedicated to a systematic documentation of all tumors in the field.
The annual conference of the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery gives life to scientific, practice orientated and social activities of the members. From 1963 on it has been held in Bad Homburg with only few interruptions until today. The conference traditionally takes place around Ascension Day. Today, the audience does have the opportunity to attend both scientific lectures and practical hands on workshops as well as a program dedicated to continuing education in oral surgery.
The German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery has been involved in joint conferences starting from 1962 when the German Society of Dental, Oral and Craniomandibular Sciences held the congress of the FDI. In 1971 the Academy organized a joint conference together with the International Association for Dental and Maxillofacial Radiology. In 1977 the Academy affiliated with the IAOMS and held the 8th ICOMS in Berlin in 1983 in order to underline its interest in international relations in the field.
Today, the German Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is one of the two major representatives of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Germany with the mission of securing the scientific and practice orientated development of the specialty. In this context it has achieved a central role in the development of scientific guidelines in the field and runs one of the most important annual conferences on Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Honorary chairman
1951 Prof. Dr. Georg Axhausen (1877-1960)
Honorary members
1963 Dr. Walter Sauvlet (1885-1965)
1965 Prof. Dr. Dr. Hans W. Herrmann (1914-1976)
1984 Prof. Dr. Dr. David Haunfelder (1912-1989)
2008 Prof. Dr. Dr. Franz Härle
Chairmen
1932 Prof. Dr. Georg Axhausen (1877-1960)
1951 Dr. Walter Sauvlet (1885-1965)
1954 Prof. Dr. Dr. Heinrich Hammer (1891-1972)
1960 Priv.-Doz. Dr. Dr. Werner Hahn
1969 Prof. Dr. Dr. David Haunfelder
1974 Prof. Dr. Wilfried Schilli
1975 Prof. Dr. Dr. Wolfgang Hoppe
1979 Prof. Dr. Dr. Joachim Haym
1981 Prof. Dr. Dr. Dieter Pape
1983 Prof. Dr. Dr. Dieter Schettler
1985 Prof. Dr. Dr. Franz Härle
1989 Prof. Dr. Dr. Jarg-Erich Hausamen
1991 Prof. Dr. Peter Reichart
1995 Prof. Dr. Dr. Wilfried Wagner
1997 Prof. Dr. Dr. Bodo Hoffmeister
1999 Prof. Dr. Dr. Alexander Hemprich
2001 Prof. Dr. Jürgen Becker
2003 Prof. Dr. Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm Neukam
2005 Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wahl
2007 Prof. Dr. Dr. Torsten Eugen Reichert
2009 Prof. Dr. Dr. Henning Schliephake
2011 Prof. Dr. Dr. Klaus-Dietrich Wolff
2013 Prof. Dr. Dr. Jörg Wiltfang