author
Emil von Behring
1854–1917
A pioneer of modern immunology, he helped turn serum therapy into a lifesaving treatment and became the first winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. His work against diphtheria changed the outlook for countless patients, especially children.
2 Audiobooks
About the author
Born in Hansdorf, West Prussia, on March 15, 1854, Emil von Behring studied medicine in Berlin and began his career as a military physician. He later worked in bacteriology and experimental medicine at a time when infectious disease was one of the greatest threats to everyday life.
Behring is best remembered for his research on serum therapy and for developing an antitoxin treatment for diphtheria, work that also led to advances against tetanus. These breakthroughs helped lay the foundations of immunology and brought him the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1901.
In later years he was closely associated with Marburg, where he continued his scientific and industrial work. He died there on March 31, 1917, leaving a legacy as one of the key figures in the early fight against infectious disease.