The Google Doodle honours Sir Ludwig Guttmann | The Father of the Paralympic Games

Ludwig Guttmann

With the Olympic Games approaching, Google created a Doodle to honor Sir Ludwig Guttmann, a German doctor known as the “Father of the Paralympic Games.” The July 3 Doodle, illustrated by Baltimore-based guest artist Ashanti Fortson, commemorates the 122nd birthday of Jewish, German born British neurologist Professor Sir Ludwig “Poppa” Guttmann, the founder of the Paralympic movement.

Because of his efforts, paralympic athletes are now recognised for their abilities and accomplishments. The Paralympic Games continue to be a driving force for promoting persons with disabilities’ rights and independence, with a long-term impact on fair treatment and opportunity.

Sir Ludwig Guttmann was born on July 3, 1899, in Tost, Germany (now Toszek, Poland) and received his M.D. in 1924. “He went on to study spinal cord injuries and execute a variety of neurosurgical surgeries, eventually rising to fame as one of Germany’s best neurosurgeons by his early thirties.

Guttmann was barred from practising medicine professionally after the emergence of the Nazi party and the adoption of the Nuremberg Laws in 1933. Guttmann was compelled to flee Germany with his family following Kristallnacht in 1938 and increased persecution of Jews in Germany, and was able to flee to England in 1939,” Google noted in a biography accompanying the Doodle.

Guttmann continued his paraplegia study in England. As the director of the National Spinal Injuries Center at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in 1944, he put his revolutionary technique into action.

He arranged one of the first formal competitive athletic events for wheelchair users in 1948, a 16-person archery competition. The competition, which was later dubbed the “Stoke Mandeville Games” or the “Olympics for the Disabled,” showcased the power of elite sport to break through handicap barriers and drew the attention of the world’s medical and athletic communities.

Following the 1960 Summer Olympics, Guttmann organized the International Stoke Mandeville Games, the first of many Paralympic Games. He formed the International Medical Society of Paraplegia (the International Spinal Cord Society) and the British Sports Association for the Disabled (Activity Alliance) in 1961, demonstrating his commitment to patient care.

For his contributions, he received various honours, the highest of which was being knighted by the Queen in 1966.

The Paralympic Games have broken down barriers and brought people together to celebrate the disabled community and the endless possibilities of performing at their best.