Carl Strehl

Carl Strehl (1886 - August 18, 1971) was a German educator. As a young man, Strehl was accidentally blinded in a chemical factory, and in 1911 moved to Hamburg, where he finished his higher education. In 1915, he was hired by University of Marburg ophthalmologist Alfred Bielschowsky (1871-1940) to assist with World War I soldiers who were blinded by shell fragments and poison gas.

In 1916 Strehl and Bielschowsky established the "Verein blinder Akademiker Deutschlands" (German Society of Blind Academicians) as well as the "Deutsche Blindenstudienanstalt" in order to give blind soldiers a chance to study and graduate at the University of Marburg. Soon afterwards, Strehl founded a secondary school (Carl Strehl-Schule) for the visually impaired, which today is a nationally recognized institution in Marburg. Also, he was vice-president of the World Council for the Welfare of the Blind, and was a prominent member of the International Council of Educators of Blind Youth.

References

* [http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/visugate/public_nboct71.hcsp New Beacon; Journal of Blind Welfare]
* [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsche_Blindenstudienanstalt Wikipedia Page for Deutsche Blindenstudienanstalt]