Click for full size!George and Gertrude Urdang, Madison 1959

Holger Rainer Maria Goetzendorff was born in Kierspe, Germany on August 7th 1951. 
He attended the German School in Barcelona, Spain, and afterwards learned chemical laboratory assistant with Bayer, Leverkusen. Gaining his university entrance qualification he studied pharmacy in Heidelberg and Bonn and economics in Hagen, Germany.
In 1985 he was given the license to practice pharmacy and worked at several pharmacies.
From 1986 till 1992 he worked for the "Apothekerkammer Nordrhein" in Düsseldorf. 
He started specialized training in public relations and worked on projects concerning administration, industry and commerce.
From 1988 till 1992 he studied the history of pharmacy in Marburg, where Rudolf Schmitz, Peter Dilg, Wolf-Dieter Müller-Jahncke and Fritz Krafft were teachers.
In 1992 he was awarded a doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.). His doctoral dissertation on a pharmaceutical historical subject was titled "Von der Selbsthilfe zur Selbstverwaltung - Entstehungsgeschichte der Apothekerkammer Nordrhein (1945-1953)".
Prof. Fritz Krafft was his supervisor. Thereafter he worked for a public pharmacy. Since 1994 he is employed at the health center Remscheid and Wuppertal specializing in social Pharmacy and pharmaceutical security. He is an expert for public health systems and Pharmaceutical information.
Since 1996 he did several educational trips to Madison, Wisconsin, USA. He is specially interested in the history of the German symbol of pharmacy. He published several articles on this subject and organized a travelling exhibition in 1991.