The Classic

Abstract

Marian Weiss (Fig. 1) was born in Kalisz, Poland. He studied medicine at the Jan Kazimierz University in Lwow and at the Jagiellonian University in Cracov. He began his orthopedic career in Warsaw in the Institute for Traumatology, headed by Professor Adam Gruca. In 1949, he organized the Konstancin Rehabilitation Center, which, with its 760 beds and all necessary facilities, is the main center for comprehensive management of musculoskeletal dysfunctions. He formed the so-called Polish model of rehabilitation, connecting reconstructive orthopedic surgery with rehabilitation procedures. In 1958, he was invited to Nancy by the World Health Organization to deliver several lectures on the courses organized in the field of rehabilitation. Creation of the Rehabilitation Chair at the Medical School in Warsaw influenced the dynamic development of the Konstancin Center, where treatment of patients, research work, and didactic activities were organized in close integration. As the Head of the Rehabilitation Department, Professor Marian Weiss coordinated the research and scientific rehabilitation program for Poland and for neighboring countries. The methods of rehabilitation at the Konstancin Center were recognized and introduced into practice in many countries. Professor Marian Weiss published about 200 scientific papers. He was also the author of many handbooks and monographs such as “Early Therapeutic, Social and Vocational Problems in the Rehabilitation of Persons With Spinal Cord Injuries,” published in English by Plenum Press in 1977. As a physician and scientist, he always tried to save human life. As a humanist and social welfare worker, Weiss understood the misery of disabled individuals and considered as his principal goal their health restoration and return to an active, creative life. Professor Marian Weiss was awarded many Polish and foreign decorations. He was the honorary member of a number of foreign medical societies, and Doctor h.c. of the University of Rennes.