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Erwin Straus

1891 – 1975

American German-born psychiatrist, academic & phenomenologist

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About Erwin Straus

Lived 1891 – 1975 (aged 83). Erwin Straus was a German and American psychiatrist, university teacher and psychologist.

Erwin Walter Maximilian Straus (11 November 1891, Frankfurt am Main – 20 May 1975, Lexington, Kentucky) was a German-American phenomenologist and neurologist who helped to pioneer anthropological medicine and psychiatry, a holistic approach to medicine that is critical of mechanistic and reductionistic approaches to understanding and treating human beings.

Some of his work can also be regarded as a precursor to or early version of neurophenomenology. Straus taught at Black Mountain College.

His books published in English include: Phenomenology: Pure and Applied (1964, Duquesne University Press) Phenomenological Psychology (1966, Basic Books) Psychiatry and Philosophy (1969, Springer) Phenomenology of Memory (1970, Duquesne University Press) Language and Language Disturbances (1974, Duquesne University Press) Man, Time, and World: Two Contributions to Anthropological Psychology (1982, Humanities Press) On Obsession: A Clinical and Methodological Study (1987, Johnson Reprint Corp)

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Important facts

Birth century
Employers
University of Kentucky, Black Mountain College
Also known as
Erwin Walter Maximilian Straus

People in Erwin Straus's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Erwin Straus's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Erwin Straus?

American German-born psychiatrist, academic & phenomenologist

When was Erwin Straus born?

Erwin Straus was born on 11 October 1891 in Frankfurt.

When did Erwin Straus die?

Erwin Straus died on 20 May 1975 in Lexington.

What was Erwin Straus's occupation?

Erwin Straus was a psychiatrist, university teacher and psychologist.

What nationality was Erwin Straus?

Erwin Straus was German and American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Erwin Straus

· Wikidata: Q78075

· DBpedia: Erwin Straus

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Erwin Straus. https://biography.guide/erwin-straus/

MLA: "Erwin Straus." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/erwin-straus/.

Chicago: "Erwin Straus." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/erwin-straus/.

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