Hans Berger (1873–1941): The Search for “Mental Energy” That Brought the Electroencephalography

Hans Berger (1873–1941) was a German neuropsychiatrist who is predominantly known as the inventor of the Electroencephalogram. Working all his professional life at the Neuropsychiatric Clinic in Jena, from 1919 until his retirement in 1938 as the director and a full professor, initially, he pursued other methods to study, mostly without success, the physiological changes, associated with specific mental functions in man. Even the successful electroencephalography (EEG) studies, published between 1929 and 1938, did not answer his quest for “Psychic Energy.” International recognition came late, and wartime conditions interfered with continued studies. Berger died by suicide in 1941. After 1945, EEG became an established tool in clinical neurology and neuroscience, and Berger was hailed as its inventor. Recent studies revealing his active participation in National Socialist health programs have diminished the glory of his name but his reputation as the father of the EEG remains.