Psychiatrist on the in County Hospital in Hall in Tyrol, Milserstrasse 10, Hall in Tyrol; Independent Colleague in the Humanethologic Group of the Max-Planck Institute in Andechs; Lecturer “Introduction in Humanethology” on the University of Innsbruck
For me, as psychiatrist and humanethologist, sexuality is a part of my field of interest in theory and in practice. My first introduction in the sexual medicine was at a lecture by Kurt Loewit while I was studying. As Innsbruck is an honourable university, the course was not allowed to be titled “Sexual Medicine”, instead it was held under the pseudonym “Endocrinology of Reproduction" from Winter semester 1976/1977 until Winter semester 1979/80. It was not only the first comprehensive lecture on sexual medicine on a medical faculty in Austria, rather for years it was the only one. This lecture was the most integrating interdisciplinary course that I myself took part in on the medical university. Loewit presented results from the various human sciences. In addition to the dysfunctions, he also presented normal behavior, as well as somatic and physical, evolutionary/behavioral biological, endocrinological, neurobiological and psychotherapeutic aspects. The broad attempt at the integration of various schools of thought are carried on and further developed according to the current scientific knowledge by the Board Members of the “Austrian Academy of Sexual Medicine”, as well as the lecturers of the curriculum. In the modules, aspects of both body and soul of sexuality are covered as if there had never been a divide in the “body and soul sciences”: experiential and theoretical sciences, natural sciences and humanities, somatic medicine and psychotherapy. I have been impressed not only with the didactic quality of the courses; in exemplary fashion, it is attains the goal of a “theory of interdisciplinarity in human sciences”. Thanks to the preparatory work of Kurt Loewit, as well as the engagement of Marianne Greil-Soyka, the “Academy of Sexual Medicine” in Salzburg in the first such course to be offered in Austria.