Farewell into retirement
At the start of the 2025/26 winter semester, the Faculty of Medicine at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg will bid farewell to three long-standing university lecturers as they enter their well-deserved retirement. Prof. Dr. Hermann-Josef Rothkötter (Anatomy), Prof. Dr. Hans-Henning Flechtner (Child and Adolescent Psychiatry), and Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Fischer (Biochemistry) have had a lasting impact on the faculty in their respective fields and beyond.
We had the opportunity to speak with Prof. Rothkötter (to the interview) and Prof. Flechtner (to the interview). They told us how they are preparing for this new phase of their lives.
“Science knows no age limit” – Prof. Hermann-Josef Rothkötter in conversation
After more than two decades at the helm of the Institute of Anatomy, Prof. Hermann-Josef Rothkötter looks back on formative changes in teaching, his years as dean of the Medical Faculty in Magdeburg, and the upcoming generational change. In this interview, he discusses the future of medical education, the importance of continuity, and why research remains indispensable to him,. even in retirement.
What changes have you seen in the education of medical students over the past two decades?
Students today have much easier access to basic knowledge in all subjects. A quick internet search during class has become almost a matter of course.
Some even trust the information from databases more than the advice of their teachers. In doing so, they sometimes forget that we specifically teach the essential basics in class. They often only realize their value later on.
Personal contact between students and lecturers remains irreplaceable. In the past, this primarily took the form of traditional lectures, which remain valid today. But the technical possibilities they offer are far from exhausted. Due to the pandemic, we have worked extensively with video transmissions—for example, demonstrating anatomical structures via a camera. I now also use this in face-to-face lectures: everyone can see the details, whether they are sitting in the back row or at their desk at home.
Working has also changed: today, the digital tablet is the notepad of the present. I am often the only one in the room who still uses a pen and paper. But for me, something else is crucial: teaching is most successful when students and teachers meet as colleagues on an equal footing. I have learned an incredible amount from students over the years. Hierarchy-free communication is the way of the future, without compromising teaching authority.
Photo: Prof. Dr. Hermann-Josef Rothkötter. Photo: private
Looking back on your twelve years as dean, which developments at the faculty are particularly close to your heart?
Economic pressure in clinics has increased significantly in recent years. This made it all the more important for the dean's office to develop a common approach to appointments, teaching, and the scientific profile. From 2008 to 2020, we worked intensively on this as a board.
Key steps included the establishment of the Skills Lab, plans for the new lecture hall, and the promotion of our research priorities. I am also very proud of the development of our own corporate identity, a unique selling point that other faculties envy us for.
A central concern has always been the equipment for research and teaching. In 2013, we made this publicly visible with a demonstration. With success, our demands on the state government were subsequently developed further in a constructive manner.
With Prof. Anne Albrecht, someone from within the institute itself is taking over the leadership. How important is this continuity to you?
The worst thing for an institute is a long vacancy in the leadership. Especially in anatomy, with its high teaching requirements, this has serious consequences, not only for research, but above all for the education of first-year students.
That's why I agreed with Prof. Albrecht early on that the transition should take place on October 1, 2025. I am grateful that she was willing to do this and that the faculty supported it. This means there will now be a seamless transition in leadership and teaching. That is a great benefit.
You want to continue researching even after your retirement. Why is that important to you?
Because in science, there are always more unanswered questions than solved problems. One example is the partial understanding of the absorption of antigens through the intestinal wall. Over the past six years, our working group, in collaboration with colleagues in Berlin, has compiled extensive material on this topic, which we intend to evaluate further.
So for me, science knows no age limit. I am grateful that I continue to find support for this at the faculty level.
What freedoms does retirement now offer you that you may have lacked while actively working?
I have many interests, including scientific, technical, and journalistic pursuits, as editor-in-chief of the Ärzteblatt Sachsen-Anhalt medical journal. My days have been well-filled since the end of my term as dean in 2020. But now I'm looking forward to having more time for family and friends, and being able to attend a concert or an exhibition during the week without having to plan.
When you look back in a few years, how will you know that you have made the most of your retirement?
Fortunately, I don't have the gift of prophecy. And it's good that we can't see into the future. For me, what matters more is that at the end of each day, you should be able to say that life was good. That has always been my attitude, and I hope it stays that way.
About the person
Prof. Dr. med. Hermann-Josef Rothkötter, born in 1959, was appointed C4 Professor of Anatomy at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg in 2003 and has headed the Institute of Anatomy ever since. Born in Rheine (Westphalia), he studied at Hannover Medical School (MHH), where he received his teaching qualification in anatomy in 1994. From 2008 to 2020, he was dean of the Faculty of Medicine. Since 2021, he has been editor-in-chief of the Ärzteblatt Sachsen-Anhalt medical journal. His primaryassesses the growing challenges facing families, the evolution, scientific interest is the intestinal immune system, in particular, the adaptations of immune function after birth and the development of immune responses by bacteria and other antigens.
“Children need more than medicine—they need a stable environment”—An interview with Prof. Hans-Henning Flechtner on his retirement
After decades at the helm of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Medical Faculty of Magdeburg, Prof. Hans-Henning Flechtner is retiring. In this interview, he takes stock of the growing challenges for families, the development of his field, and the most important lessons for the next generation of doctors.
During your time at the clinic, you have accompanied countless children and adolescents. Is there one experience that has had a particular impact on you?
Seeing time and again how the healthy development of children depends directly on their immediate family and living conditions – and how fatal the effects of desolate circumstances can often be.
How has child and adolescent psychiatry changed over the past 20 years – medically, but also socially?
It seems as if crisis situations have increased significantly in recent years, expectations have grown, and many parents are no longer able or willing to adequately fulfill their parental responsibilities.
Photo: Prof. Dr. Hans-Henning Flechtner. Photographer: Melitta Schubert/UMMD
For many doctors, retirement is a break with decades of routine. How are you personally dealing with this transition?
Calmly and without fuss, by continuing to do some things and otherwise switching to other routines.
When you think of your students, what would you like to pass on to the next generation of doctors?
In addition to the wealth of knowledge and skills required for the medical profession, I believe the basic ability to “think for oneself” is of central importance.
What things in everyday life are you particularly looking forward to when your schedule is no longer so full?
Having significantly more time again for substantive work and reading.
Do you want to continue your professional involvement, and if so, which topic is particularly close to your heart?
I will probably continue my work on the State Psychiatric Committee and, overall, focus more on the philosophical roots of the psychiatric disciplines again.
About
Prof. Dr. med. Hans-Henning Flechtner, born in 1956, has been Director of the University Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatic Medicine for Children and Adolescents at the Medical Faculty of Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg since 2006. In 2009, he took over the Chair of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Prof. Flechtner studied philosophy and medicine in Giessen, Heidelberg, and Glasgow, receiving his doctorate in Heidelberg in 1985 and his habilitation in Cologne in 2004. He was president of the German Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy (DGKJP) and researches psychopathology, the quality of life of children and families, and psycho-oncological issues.