Professor Dr. Dieter Soyka * Berlin, November 9, 1929 - April 14, 2012, Kiel +
Professor Dr. Dieter Soyka passed away in Kiel on April 14, 2012, at the age of 82. His unparalleled work as a neurologist, pain therapist, scientist, teacher, and author made his life a blessing for medicine worldwide. Professor Soyka played a leading role in shaping and influencing today's modern, coordinated healthcare landscapes in neurology and, in particular, specialized pain therapy. In 1972, Professor Soyka was appointed to the newly established Chair of Neurology at Kiel University. From the outset, Professor Soyka dedicated himself to improving the care of major neurological diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, and especially migraine and headache disorders. The numerous national and international awards and honors Professor Soyka received attest to his exceptional ability to bring people together, combine their ideas, and creatively develop innovative new structures.
He founded, among other organizations, the German Migraine and Headache Society, the International Headache Society, and the Pain Working Group within the German Society for Neurology. He was also the founding president of the German Interdisciplinary Association for Pain Therapy. In recognition of his achievements, he was elected an honorary member of numerous national and international societies. Patients valued and loved Professor Soyka for his compassionate and successful dedication. In addition to his clinical work and research, Professor Soyka was exceptionally committed to academic self-governance and teaching. He served as Dean, Vice President, and Pro-Rector of Kiel University. His lectures were legendary and consistently packed. The student council repeatedly awarded them the title of best lecture at Kiel University. The mystery of how one person could accomplish all this remains unsolved. A key source of energy was undoubtedly his wife, who actively supported him. But the gratitude of his patients also motivated him to keep the flames burning and the iron striking. As a scientist and physician, Professor Soyka was always a professor in the truest sense of the word. He was a passionate advocate for interdisciplinary research and treatment of neurological disorders and pain conditions, aiming to combine knowledge and experience from all scientific disciplines to enable effective treatment. With his life's work, Professor Soyka laid the foundation for today's pain management, a foundation upon which modern medicine has been able to build. Headache medicine has lost a star in Professor Soyka: a gifted physician, an innovative scientist, an outstanding teacher, a creative force, a very refined, courteous, intelligent, and respected individual, and a wonderful friend.
