Wilhelm Schulze

Who was Wilhelm Schulze?

Wilhelm Schulze was a German professor of veterinary medicine, director of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover and a specialist for pigs.

Schulze studied veterinary medicine at Leipzig University and at Hanover University and became a professor and dean in Leipzig. In 1957 he was appointed a professor in Hanover and established a reputable clinic specializing on pigs. In 1968 he was a founder of the "International Pig Veterinary Society". His dedication to this species earned him the respectful title "Pigs-Schulze" by students, colleagues and vets. Schulze was awarded honorary degrees of the Free University of Berlin, the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, the University of Warsaw and Leipzig University. On August 24, 2006, the university decided to posthumously name a prize after him.

Between 1974 and 1978 Schulze and his colleagues carried out a study at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Hannover University in Germany. The study: ‘Attempts to Objectify Pain and Consciousness in Conventional and Ritual Methods of Slaughtering Sheep and Calves’ is reported on Islamic websites to have concluded that "the Islamic way of slaughtering is the most humane method of slaughter and that captive bolt stunning, practiced in the West, causes severe pain to the animal".