ABSTRACT
Hanuš Papoušek remained head of the Unit on Developmental Psychobiology at the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Munich until 1988, when he had no choice but to retire in accordance with the mandates of the German government. Retirement for Hanuš did not mean relaxation and a life of leisure, but rather the opportunity to freely pursue his interest in science and infancy studies. For the next decade, he continued his professional reading, writing, lecturing, mentoring, and traveling around the world. Papoušek's life continued to be influenced by major international political events, but this time in a much more positive direction. His retirement coincided with the end of the Cold War and the breakdown of political barriers between East and West, allowing him to reunite once again with his family in Czechoslovakia, to resume contacts and research collaboration with former colleagues at the Institute for the Care of Mother and Child, Charles University, and other Czech institutions of medical and pediatric sciences. Until the onset of acute leukemia in 1998, he remained a model of professional vigor and physical health, and a valued “senior mentor” for leading developmentalists in a variety of countries around the world.
