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When she is described at a medical congress as “one of the most famous women in gynecology,” it is well worth examining the extraordinary career of Liselotte Mettler at the University Hospital of Kiel.
Working under sometimes challenging conditions and often facing prejudice, Liselotte Mettler gradually assumed increasing responsibility for the entire clinic, particularly in endoscopy and reproductive medicine. The establishment of gynecological endoscopic surgery—from laparoscopic, minimally invasive procedures to robot-assisted surgery—and the benefits arising from these revolutionary developments are directly linked to her life’s work. Her contribution to the development of in-vitro fertilization, from the early and fragile beginnings of reproductive medicine to successful extracorporeal fertilization, was equally significant. A tribute to her work notes: “Countless families have experienced the joy of having their own child thanks to her research.”
The diverse experience Liselotte Mettler gained in advancing endoscopy and reproductive medicine remains highly valuable for colleagues, medical students, and the general public, as well as for her pioneering work in paving the way for women physicians in leadership positions in academic medicine.
Professor Dr. med. Ibrahim Alkatout, M.A., MaHM, born in 1978, studied medicine, medical ethics, and hospital management in Marburg, Kiel, Dresden, and Mainz. From 2005, he worked as a research associate at the Institute of Pathology of the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel Campus, and in 2006 he received his doctoral degree at the Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel. In 2007, he moved to the Department of General Surgery and in 2009 to the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, where he completed his habilitation in 2013. In 2018, he was appointed University Professor for Minimally Invasive and Robot-Assisted Surgery, served as Senior Consultant and Deputy Director of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Kiel, and was head of the Clinical and Scientific Endometriosis Center at the University Women’s Hospital Kiel. He is a MIS-3 certified laparoscopic surgeon and, based on his own study data and evidence-based analyses, is convinced of the benefits of Da Vinci surgery. Prof. Alkatout led the “Kiel School of Gynaecological Endoscopy” until March 2026; the thorough training of young surgeons is a central concern for him. He is the author of numerous scientific articles in medical journals as well as several monographs in the medical field. His research achievements are internationally recognized and documented by an outstanding h-index. His passion for teaching, research, and surgical excellence makes him a highly respected contact for both patients and colleagues nationally and internationally. In early April 2026, he accepted a call to the University Clinic for Gynecology in Innsbruck.
Born in Berlin-Spandau in 1939, Christian Zöllner, the eldest of nine children, moved to South Africa at the age of nine, where his father worked as a missionary. After completing his studies and teaching activities, he earned a doctorate in Germany in history and political science. Initially, he served as Academic Councilor in Lower Saxony, then in 1975 joined the Institute for Practice and Theory of Schooling and the Ministry of Education in Kiel, and later the State Chancellery there. During this time, he also served as Managing Director of the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival (SHMF). Immediately after German reunification, he contributed to the establishment of the State Chancellery in Schwerin before being elected District Administrator in Teterow, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Following the district reform there, he returned to Kiel and served from 1995 to 2007 as Director of the Hermann Ehlers Academy in Kiel. In April 2001, Zöllner was awarded the BVK I. He contributed to several studies in healthcare institutions and organizations. Zöllner is the author of numerous publications in the fields of history, culture, and medicine. His most recent biography of Friedrich von Esmarch, linking personal achievements with historical background and systematic questions, is considered exemplary for a scholarly biography (Christiana Albertina 84.2023). Zöllner is Managing Director and Board Member of the Prof. Dr. Werner-Petersen Foundation and President of the Red Cross District Association Kiel.