Bridging neighboring civilizations at academic grounds: a story of Zygmunt Albert - Rector illustrissimus ac magnificus Academiae Medicae Wratislaviensis - a pathologist who visualized gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase.

: The life stories can constitute more than simple biographies to remain great lessons of honesty, grit and steadfastness in keeping standards of medical science within a strong moral fiber and flexible wiseness in hard terms like in case of Zygmunt Albert (1908-2001). This eminent pathologist histochemically visualized tissue distribution of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in liver and other organs under various conditions. He was also deeply involved in experimental pathology of liver, particularly in his comprehensive studies on chrysoidin-induced hepatoma that should bear eponymic name Albert's hepatoma. As he had both German and Polish roots, he became an eminent personage that wisely and consequently bridged neighboring civilizations in hard terms of escalation of hate in prewar times, during World War II and in postwar period. After he meticulously recorded Nazi crimes in Lvov, he appealed for justice in case of Nazi massive murders of Lvov Professors. He obtained his Associate Professorship in Anatomical Pathology in Lvov (Lemberg) and was one of rebuilders of Medical Faculty in postwar Wroclaw (Breslau) to serve as the first Rector Magnificus of Medical Academy of Wroclaw.