The life of Gustav Mesmers (1903-1994) is presented along his autobiography with the title “BIOGRAPHY ---UNKNOWN--- Of a person, whose path of life led through orders like psych. hospital”, published in 1962. One side of his unbound creativity is already shown in this text – his speech creations. The work of this “Icarus of the Launertal”, which he himself never understood as art, is introduced in pictures and film excerpts. This doesn’t only include his famous flying wheels – one of which was shown at the world exhibition in Seville in 1992 – and other devices for flying including the corresponding drawings, but also many musical instruments, speech devices and much more. The main focus of this talk is: the creative in Mesmer’s language, his dispute with the church and religion, the question of madness and genius and the drive of Gustav Mesmer to his creations.

About the person:

Dr. Wolfram Voigtländer is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist, head doctor in a clinic for psychiatry, psychotherapy and psychosomatics in a general hospital in Swabia (close to the home of Mesmer) . He sees himself as a social psychiatrist whose work is oriented on concepts like community closeness, full regional care, open door work, user contribution and the integration of the stationary area in a communal psychiatric association. Among others he deals with the questions of psychiatric care and the creative forms of expressions of the mentally ill.