Die entscheidende Reise nach Deutschland: Hermann Knaus's Pivotal Ovulation Research Journey

This exhibition delves into Hermann Knaus's pivotal journey to Germany in 1928, where he presented his groundbreaking research on determining the ovulation time. It explores his scientific observations and the subsequent development of methods for tracking the menstrual cycle.

The exhibition "Die entscheidende Reise nach Deutschland" focuses on the significant scientific trip undertaken by Hermann Knaus in May 1928. During this visit, he presented his research to the Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology in Berlin, which, despite initial debates, led to crucial insights. The narrative highlights Knaus's observation at the University Women's Clinic in Berlin, where he witnessed strong uterine movements via X-ray, sparking his interest in graphing these contractions and their relationship to hormonal cycles. This observation connected with his previous work on the influence of the corpus luteum hormone. The exhibition details his systematic study of the uterus's responsiveness to pituitary extract throughout the menstrual cycle, leading to the formulation of a law stating that ovulation consistently occurs 15 days before menstruation. It also touches upon the challenges in comparing hormonal extracts and the subsequent efforts towards standardization, underscoring the importance of new working methods in scientific progress.