The subject of Google Doodle on Thursday is a Polish biologist Rudolf Stefan Jan Weigl, who was also a physician. He has a strong connect to the times the world is going through right now.
Born on September 2, 1883, Weigl has a place in the history because he was the force behind creating an effective vaccine against the typhus fever pandemic.
Typhus might not be as dangerous as the coronavirus, but it also claimed a lot of lives in the beginning of the 20th century. Weigl was a visionary who knew the value of further research in the field of medicines and how it could impact the quality of life in the coming decades, so he also founded a research institute in Lviv.
He was also a humanitarian who put serving the society ahead of anything else. His role during the holocaust was also remarkable as he worked for the welfare of many Jewish community members while putting his own life at risk.
Despite a relatively tough childhood, Weigl’s passion for learning was never diminished and he used every opportunity to add value to the science. After graduating from Lwow University in Ukraine, he was called to work for the Austro-Hungarian Army during the World War 1. That is where he started researching on the typhus fever.
During the second World War, the German forces wanted his help to combat the typhus fever and Weigl used this opportunity to employ many underground members of various Polish parties and many Jew community members.
He passed away on August 11, 1957.
