author
Richard von Volkmann
1830–1889
A gifted 19th-century German surgeon who also wrote poetry and fairy tales, he brought scientific rigor to medicine while nurturing a lasting literary side. His life joined the operating room and the writer’s desk in a way that still feels unusual and memorable.
1 Audiobook
Unelmia takkavalkean ääressä
by Richard von Volkmann
About the author
Born in Leipzig on August 17, 1830, Richard von Volkmann became one of Germany’s leading surgeons of the 19th century. He studied medicine in Halle, Giessen, and Berlin, earned his medical degree in 1854, and later served as professor of surgery and director of the surgical clinic at Halle.
He is remembered in medical history for major work in surgery and orthopedics, including helping introduce antiseptic methods in Germany. At the same time, he wrote poetry, fiction, and fairy tales under the pen name Richard Leander, showing a creative life that ran alongside his medical career.
Volkmann died in Jena on November 28, 1889. His unusual blend of scientific authority and imaginative writing gives him a special place among authors whose work grew out of a rich and demanding professional life.