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Die Wittmanns: Gestern, Heute und Morgen. Information about our Family

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Our branch of the family started with Dietmar H. Wittmann and Heide-Marie Wittmann in 1965 in Hamburg. Heidi is now (2023) a retired schoolteacher and Dietmar is a retired academic surgeon. We both studied in Hamburg and continued at the University of California in San Francisco (Medical School) and Berkley (Geography), Both of us graduated and started 1969 professional life in Hamburg. In 1970 Dietmar immigrated to the US and began his surgical training at Philadelphia General Hospital in the Hahnemann Medical College training program. In 1971 he returned to Germany. Worked three months as a family doctor and then continued his surgical residency training in Hamburg while Heide-Marie continued her professional life as a school teacher. In 1972/73, the no/700-dtm-personal/701-CV/701.htmlw family of three volunteered for Humanitarian Aid at the Mission chirurgicale de la Republique Federale d’Allemagne in Annaba, Algeria. During that time our daughter Annemarei was born in Hamburg.

After completion of residency in Surgery, trauma und orthopedic surgery, Dietmar became scientifically involved with peptic ulcer decease and pharmacokinetics of antimicrobials to habilitate (professorial thesis proceedure) for Surgery at the University of Hamburg. Still in Hamburg, he organized an international Congress on Intraabdominal Infection at the Congress Center in Hamburg and founded the European Surgical Infection Society in 1997.

Upon invitation, a year later in 1988, our entire family moved to the US where Dietmar was appointed Professor of Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Our children Mark and Annemarei successfully managed the transition from the German Gymnasium in Hamburg to the US educational System. Both became physicians and like to live in the “New World.”/100-pics/2008-10-04familiabanner.jpg

Mark maried Lisa Friedmann and their daugther Fritzy was born before they graduated from the Medcal College of Wosconsin Medical School. The young family then moved to Denver where both matched for a residency program in suregry and pediatrics. Mark completed his residency training at Johns Hopkins University and his wife Lisa her training in Denver University. Both work now in Sarasota as anesthesiologist and pediatrician and live with their three daughters in Sarasota, 20 minutes’ drive from us albeit separated.

Anna completed her neurology residence at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and then started her professional career as a neurologist in private practice in Atlanta. Her husband John Ranta graduated from University of Georgia after completing his philosophical studies. In July 2006 they moved with their daughter Syrah to live with us in Sarasota and give birth to their second daughter Daphne in Sept 2006. Then in 2007 the Ranta Family moved with their daughters Syrah and Daphne from Sarasota to New Zealand, first to Palmerston North and then to Wellington.

In the new Millennium we had moved from Brookfield and Milwaukee to Venice in Florida for retirement where we designed and built the “Arches House” on the small island Casey Key. While Dietmar stayed still active as an advisor to other surgeons, and a reviewer for major surgical journals he corresponds with surgeons around the world about the abdominal compartment syndrome an operative method named “Staged Abdominal Repair” he championed. It is a temporary fascia prosthesis to manage the Planned Open Abdomen and is used by many surgeons worldwide. See details at http:/www.openabdomen.org. His surgical and Critical Care Group at the Medical College of Wisconsin were the first to describe the abdominal compartment syndrome as an entity tchat da a deep impact on Surgery and even led to an international Society for abdominal compartment syndrome.

Heidi rediscovered her love for art and is actively producing nature printing pictures. She is part of a small artist group at http://www.artinthecottage.com. Here paintings are beautiful and highly esteemed in and out of nature printing Artists circles. (See pics)

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Finally a word about the New Zealand adventure After setting the basics for their private and professional life the Ranta Family moved with their daughters Syrah and Daphne from Sarasota to New Zealand, first to Palmerston North and then to Wellington.

Anna, besides practicing neurology became advisor to the NZ government and John became engaged in a leading position with the Green Party of New Zealand. In Wellington Anna accepted leadership as clinical Director of the Capital and Coast Health Care System. She became heavily involved with Stroke research, wrote a thesis about this topic, advanced to full professor of Neurology. She also became the chairperson of the Department of Medicine and Neurology of the University of Otago. Her inaugural Lecture (Antrittsvorlesung) is available online if you click the following link: (--->Inaugural Lecture) or if you want to see the entire university setup: ---> (Prof Anna Ranta - Do different folks have different strokes? An unexpected journey)

Mark also wanted to go byond the scope and continue with the family tradion by travelling and exploring our globe. He accepted an appointment abroad in the German Universitätskrankenhaus in Leipzig. He worked there as as seniour Anaesthesiologst for one year and was even asked to apply for the Chief of Anethesia positin in the Bad Nauheim Hospital. He decided, however, to return to Sarasota where he served as Chief of cardiac Anaesthesia and a Clinical Professor at the University of South Florida./100-pics/103-pics-ck/ck06.jpg
Mark wanted also to go byond the scope and continue with the family tradion to explore other contries by accepting an appointment in the German Universitätskrankenhaus in Leipzig. He worked there as as senious Anaesthesiologst for one year and was even asked to apply for the Chief of Anethsia position in the Bad Nauheim Hospita.He decided, however, to return to Sarasota where he served as Chief of cardiac Anaesthesia and a Clinical Professor at the University of South Florida.

Bilder Casey Key

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