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History

The Professor Dr. Max Cloëtta Foundation was established in Zurich on 27 September 1973 by Dr. Antoine Cloëtta in honour of his father, Professor Dr. Max Cloëtta. At the time of its establishment, the foundation’s capital amounted to CHF 500’000. During his lifetime, and especially in the years prior to his death, the founder endowed the trust with considerable additional funds.

Founder - Dr. Antoine Cloëtta

Founder - Dr. Antoine Cloëtta (1902 - 1978)

The founder of the foundation Professor Dr. Max Cloëtta, Dr. Antoine Cloëtta, was born on 10 September 1902 in Zurich, the son of Prof. Dr. Max Cloëtta and Lucy Cloëtta-Spoendlin.

The work of his ancestors had a profound influence on him, and he too became deeply interested in medical science. After completing his schooling in Zurich, he went on to study medicine and economics at the Universities of Zurich and Geneva, graduating with a Doctorate in Economics from Geneva in 1928. He then began his professional career at Hoffmann-La Roche.

He worked for this company in Switzerland and several European countries, as well as overseas, for almost three decades. He held management positions in the parent company and in foreign subsidiaries. During the turbulent times before, during and after the Second World War, Dr Antoine Cloëtta played a decisive role in building a global organisation. In addition to his professional activities, which increasingly focused on organisation and marketing, he always had a keen interest in pharmaceutical and medical research, to which he devoted himself more intensively in the form of studies after retiring from active professional life.

After a fulfilling life, Dr Antoine Cloëtta passed away on 14 August 1978. His personality was characterised by kindness, generosity, diverse interests and extensive knowledge.

The life of Professor Max Cloëtta (1868 - 1940)

1868

Birth & Early Years

Max Arnold Cloëtta was born on 21 July 1868 in Zurich. Alongside his two older sisters, he was the only son of Prof. Dr. Arnold Leonard Cloëtta and his wife Marie. After completing primary and secondary school, he decided to study medicine.

In doing so, he followed in the footsteps of his father, whom he greatly admired and who held the chair of forensic medicine and general pathology at the University of Zurich. His maternal grandfather had also been a full professor of surgery in Zurich.

The death of his father shortly before his state examination left a huge void in Max Cloëtta's life. The following two years were also overshadowed by his mother's illness.

1892 - 1897

Medical Degree & Academic Foundations

After passing his state examination in 1892, Max Cloëtta went abroad to continue his education and laid the foundation for his outstanding professional training, among other things as a popular assistant to Oswald Schmiedeberg in Strasbourg.

At the end of 1897, Max Cloëtta qualified as a professor of pharmacology at the Medical Faculty of the University of Zurich, thus beginning his academic career.

1901-1907

Professorship & Teaching Innovation

In 1901, he was elected associate professor of pharmacology as the successor to Prof. Friedrich Goll; he also held a temporary teaching position in forensic toxicology. Upon his appointment as full professor in 1907, he was also given a teaching position in experimental pathology and therapy – thanks to his outstanding achievements in this field. The University of Zurich owes Max Cloëtta a debt of gratitude for, among other things, introducing experimental pharmacology teaching, which was designed to promote and deepen the clinical and therapeutic understanding of prospective doctors.

1910 - 1917

Leadership & International Recognition

In 1910, Max Cloëtta was elected Dean of the Faculty of Medicine. He soon initiated several important appointments that helped the faculty achieve international renown. For example, the election of Ferdinand Sauerbruch as successor to Prof. Rudolf Ulrich Krönlein was largely due to his initiative.

In 1914, he was appointed Rector of the University of Zurich. During the difficult war years, he prudently managed the affairs of the Rectorate in addition to his work as a researcher and academic teacher.

Despite honourable calls to Göttingen (1908), Prague (1911) and Munich (1917), he remained loyal to the university in his hometown.

1935-1940

Final Years & Legacy

In 1935, he was forced to give up academic teaching for health reasons. It was not easy for him to part with his teaching career and his students. Until shortly before his final serious illness, Max Cloëtta devoted himself to his pharmacological studies.

Despite his devotion to his beloved science, pharmacology, which he served with innermost drive and joy in the creative development of knowledge, Max Cloëtta's aspirations ultimately always remained connected to people, despite a certain reserve. Max Cloëtta therefore deserves to be honoured here not only as a scientist, but above all as a human being. Time and again, he distinguished himself through his sophisticated knowledge of human nature and his modesty. He summed up his life with the following words:

«As an old man, when I try to account for how I was able to accomplish everything in spite of my various physical ailments and my average mental abilities, it is probably this: I have always tried not to be taken by surprise by sudden demands, but to master them with foresight whenever possible. A genius or a bohemian will never behave this way, but for the average person, this is the way to come close to meeting the demands of life.»

The Journal of Molecular Medicine published an obituary for Max Cloëtta in November 1940 (Volume 19, Number 46). The author is Wolfgang Heubner, Berlin.