Ljuba and Milan Neumann: the professional and scientific careers of two physicians from a Zagreb Jewish family

Abstract

This paper provides new insights into the Neumann family of Zagreb, which produced two physicians, in the first half of the 20th century, Ljuba and Milan Neumann, who are the central focus of this study. Ljuba and Milan Neumann belonged to the first generations of students at the Zagreb Faculty of Medicine. The primary objective of this paper is to present the lives and work of Ljuba and Milan Neumann, both of whom remain relatively unknown to professional circles and the general public. Their lives and careers are analysed through three key segments examining their family background, their period of study, and their subsequent professional development and activities. Special attention is dedicated to their professional and scientific papers, which illustrate the research problems they encountered alongside case studies from their own practice. Following graduation, Ljuba Neumann began her career at the Medical Clinic, today the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Zagreb Faculty of Medicine. She later worked at the Department of Internal Medicine of the Foundation Hospital and collaborated with Tomo Dodoja at the Laboratory for Medical Examinations and Microchemical Analyses in Zagreb. In 1937, she achieved the rank of chief physician and was appointed head of the Central Laboratory of the Foundation Hospital at Sveti Duh. In 1941, she was promoted to head of the Department of Internal Medicine of the Foundation Hospital. After completing his medical studies, Milan Neumann began his career at the Department of Internal Medicine of the Foundation Hospital but soon transferred to the Radiology Department of the same hospital, where he specialized in radiology. In 1930, he was appointed head of the radiology office, and later the department, of the Merkur Sanatorium in Zagreb. Alongside their hospital work, Ljuba and Milan Neumann published several professional and scientific papers in the periodicals of the time, both independently and in co-authorship. In addition to primary, secondary, and tertiary literature, this study utilizes various archival and online sources, including collaborative social networks.