Zwischen Ost und West – Medizingeschichte und Promotion in einer Übergangszeit: Briefe, Archive und die Zusammenarbeit mit Professor Heinz MÜLLER-DIETZ (1923-1998)

The document outlines the academic collaboration between Latvian medical historian Juris Salaks and German professor Heinz Müller-Dietz during the transitional period of the Soviet Union's collapse and the integration of Eas-tern European scholars into Western academia. It details the development of Salaks' dissertation on Russian court physician Justus Christian von Loder, supervised by Müller-Dietz at the Free University of Berlin.
Salaks conducted extensive research in archives across Moscow, Leningrad, and Riga. Salaks successfully defended his dissertation in 1991, becoming the first Latvian to earn a doctorate outside the USSR after Latvia's indepen-dence. Their collaboration also resulted in the publication of a monograph on Loder's anatomical collection. Müller-Dietz served as a mentor, suppor-ter, and equal scientific partner, with their correspondence reflecting mutual trust, respect, and intellectual growth.
The document highlights the challenges and opportunities of academic in-tegration during a transitional era, demonstrating how personal initiative and institutional support overcame political and cultural barriers. It serves as a testament to the importance of collaboration and trust in scientific endeavors.