https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9507-5301
Professor Eberhard Ritz was born on 23 January 1938 in Heidelberg Germany. His early years were spent in Heidelberg and Lindach, Germany, and for some time in Erlach, Switzerland. Although medicine was not his initial choice of career he commenced his medical studies in Heidelberg in 1957 and spent some time in the medical schools of Munich and Montpellier. He graduated in 1963 and commenced his clinical career in the Department of Internal Medicine in Zurich, Switzerland, as a recipient of the scholarship ‘Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes’. As so many did at that time, he travelled to the United States of America as he was awarded a National Institutes of Health Post Doctoral Fellowship in the Department of Biochemistry, Washington University, St Louis. There, his research involved a study of the pentose cycle and the metabolism of acid mucoploysacchride in experimental and human atherosclerosis—initiating a lifelong interest in cardiovascular disease. He returned to Germany in 1967 and was appointed to the Department of Internal Medicine of the Ruperto Carola University of Heidelberg. In 1972, after successfully defending his habilitation thesis on ‘Renale Osteodystrophe bei Dialysepatienten’ (Renal Osteodystrophy in Dialysis Patients), he was appointed as an Associate Professor and subsequently in 1974 as a full Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Heidelberg. From 1970 he was head of the Renal Division of the Department of Internal Medicine, where he remained until his retirement in 2003. Unfortunately, latterly he developed a bravely borne debilitating progressive illness and died on 29 October 2023.
Throughout his career Professor Ritz continued to research the relationship between the kidney and blood pressure, and the cardiovascular remodelling which occurs in uraemia. He had a particular interest in the role of different risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking, salt intake and low birth weight on the progression of chronic nephropathies. He made a particular study of renal osteodystrophy and the many factors that affect its progression. Throughout his career he published the results of his many investigations in numerous peer-reviewed journals—consisting of more than 1500 articles by the end of 2016.
Professor Ritz was much involved in many scientific organizations and associations, where he played an important role and where his wise counsel was greatly effective and much appreciated. He was a President of the Gesellschaft für Nephrologie and the International Society of Nephrology as well as a Council Member of the European Renal Association (ERA-EDTA). He chaired the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) COMGAN Committee on Eastern Europe and also chaired the Joint Commission on Eastern Europe, which was a joint ISN, ERA-EDTA and Gesellschaft für Nephrologie venture. His skill at bringing together a number of organizations with similar interests was most striking in 2003 when he, as President of the World Congress of Nephrology held in Berlin, brought together the ERA-EDTA, the ISN, the Gesellschaft für Nephrologie, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Nephrologie, the European Kidney Research Association and the European Society of Paediatric Nephrology to hold a spectacularly successful Congress attracting in the region of 10 000 active participants. This was something that had never previously been achieved and paved the way for further collaboration between societies, which persists to this day to the benefit of clinicians, researchers and, most importantly, patients.
In recognition of his outstanding clinical, research and teaching abilities he received wide recognition and was in receipt of Doctor Honoris Causa from the Silesian Medical Academy, Katowice, Poland, the Pomeranian Medical Academy, Szczecin, Poland, the Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary and the Gr T Poppa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iasi, Rumania. He received many distinguished awards including the Pasteur Medal of the University of Strassburg, the Malphigi Medal of the University of Bologna, the Distinguished Investigator Medal of the National Kidney Foundation, the Volhard medal of the Gesellschaft für Nephrologie and the Jakob Henle medal of the medical faculty in Goettingen, the Franz Gross Wissenschaftspreis of the Deutsche Hochdruckliga (German League against Hypertension), the Langerhans award of the German Diabetes Society, the John P. Peters award of the American Society Nephrology, the award of the International Society of Blood Purification, the Scribner Award of the International Society of Hemodialysis, the Zanchetti Lifetime Achievement Award of the European Society of Hypertension, the Jean Hamburger Award of the International Society Nephrology, the Lifetime Award of the European Renal Association (ERA-EDTA) and the ‘Bundesverdienstkreuz’ of the German Government (cross for distinguished merits). Many professional societies recognized his outstanding teaching ability by awarding him honorary membership. These included ERA-EDTA and many Nephrological Societies: France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Australia and South Africa. His expertise was recognized by Fellowship of the American College of Physicians, the Royal College of Physicians of London, the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and the Societas Medica Chirurgica of Bologna.
Photograph made by Prof. Janusz Ostrowski
As a result of his international profile he was invited as a Visiting Professor to Hammersmith Hospital, London, Guy's Hospital, London, UCLA in Los Angeles, the Sackler Medical School, Tel Aviv and the National Kidney Foundation. His skill in critically assessing the published literature saw him receive invitations to deliver named lectures such as the Lilly Lecture of the Royal College of Physicians of London, the B. Brenner Lecture at the annual meeting of the American Society of Nephrology, the Brenner Lecture at Harvard and the Massry Lecture of the National Kidney Foundation.
Professor Ritz's published articles were always clear and concise and so, not surprisingly, his skills were recruited by professional journals. He was the Editor-in-Chief of Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation from 1992 until 1998, during which time he introduced many innovative concepts. He was a Section Editor of the first three editions of the Oxford Textbook of Clinical Nephrology, where he was particularly successful in getting contributors to submit their chapters on time. He was Associate Editor of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology and a Board Member of Kidney International, Clinical Nephrology, Nephron and the American Journal of Kidney Diseases. Not only did he act as an Editor, but also frequently helped potential authors by suggesting ways in which their manuscripts could be improved. There are many throughout the field of nephrology who are grateful to Eberhard for his editorial help and advice.
Professor Ritz will long be remembered for his outstanding contribution to colleagues in Eastern Europe. It is worth remembering that prior to November 1989 there was a social, political, cultural and professional divide in Europe due to the ‘Iron Curtain’, which restricted the free movement of citizens between countries. Clinicians and research workers in Eastern Europe had significant difficulty in travelling to Western Europe to attend scientific meetings. Eberhard recognized this and was the first nephrologist to recognize the need to actively support the development of education and research in kidney diseases, including hypertension, in Central and Eastern Europe. To facilitate this he, despite great political barriers, supported Fellows from Eastern Europe to spend short- or long-term scholarships in the Division of Nephrology and the research laboratories in Heidelberg from 1984 until 2013. In addition, from the early 1980s he invited many young colleagues to come to Heidelberg to participate in his Seminars in Nephrology and Hypertension. He arranged financial support for registration fees, hotel accommodation and travel expenses to enable them to attend, as without such support they would have been unable to visit Heidelberg and benefit from the educational experience. For many young nephrologists their time spent in Heidelberg was one of the most important steps forward in their subsequent scientific and clinical careers. These scholarships fostered long-lasting personal relationships which helped to continue scientific collaboration over many subsequent years.
The Heidelberg seminars, Nephrologisches Seminar Heidelberg, were established by Prof Ritz in 1976 and recognized internationally for the high standard of the scientific presentations and their value in developing and improving scientific study, as well as enhancing the clinical care of patients with renal disease. Eberhard was not only the founder of these seminars but he was the main driving spirit as mentioned by Profs Heidland, Koppel and Massry in their article dedicated to him on the occasion of his 60th birthday: ‘A trademark characteristic of these seminars is the dominating intellectual presence of Prof Ritz. His frequent comments following virtually all of the lectures provide additional information, emphasize key points, and stimulate and provide innovative ways of considering the subject’. Following the relaxation of travel restrictions, Prof Ritz created similar educational seminars in nephrology in many countries in Central and Eastern Europe such as in the Prague Winter School in Nephrology, the Katowice Advances in Nephrology and Hypertension, the Budapest Nephrology Summer School and the Renal Failure Academy in Romania. Additionally, Eberhard was the driving force in establishing Joint Action Nephrology Eastern Europe in 1996. This was the first collaborative initiative between the ISN and ERA-EDTA. The first educational course took place in Prague, Czech Republic, in 1997, and subsequently repeated with great success in Prishtina, Kosovo, Kaunas, Lithuania and in time many others. The benefits of such courses promoted the intellectual exchange of the developing scientific concepts in nephrology and the sharing of clinical experiences to promote advances in patient care. There was thus a benefit not only to the medical profession but also to the many patients with renal diseases.
Professor Ritz, in recognition of his outstanding ability as a speaker, was frequently invited to attend and give lectures in many countries of Central and Eastern Europe. On several occasions, due to his extraordinary linguistic ability and his prodigious memory, he gave his presentation in the local language—much to the delight of the attendees. This did not always go according to plan, as on one occasion he was approached at the coffee break following such a presentation and asked a detailed question in Polish only to have to reply that unfortunately, in spite of his masterly performance, he did not speak fluent Polish! He recognized that many, particularly junior colleagues, were not fluent in English and so he was instrumental in promoting CME courses at the ERA-EDTA Congresses in native languages, much to the benefit of attendees.
Professor Ritz had an enduring passion and interest in European history and culture. He was, in many respects, a polymath with a wide interest the world around him. No matter the situation he was always able to add constructively to the debate and occasion, and thus enhance the experience of those who had the privilege of meeting with him. He had extraordinary human qualities and was a sincere and long-lasting friend to many.
It is frequently said that behind every great and successful man there is an equally great person. Eberhard married Dr Christina Kirschner in 1975 and this was a lifelong, enduring partnership. In many respects he was able to achieve so much due to the support and encouragement of Christina, without which much of that reported here and elsewhere could not have been accomplished. He was a devoted father to their four children, whom he adored and in whose achievements he relished.
In summing up the legacy of life of Professor Eberhard Ritz, he will be remembered mostly for the way in which he broke down the ‘Iron Curtain’ which divided Europe prior to 1989 and which prevented scientific co-operation and discourse. He thereby paved the way for the lasting national and international co-operation that we enjoy today to the benefit of scientists, clinicians and patients.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST STATEMENT
None declared.
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