Richard von Volkmann

Born on August 17, 1830, Richard von Volkmann became one of the leading German surgeons of the 19th century. He is remembered for important work in surgery and for medical ideas that continued to influence later practice.

He was also a writer, publishing poetry and fiction alongside his medical career. That unusual combination of surgeon and author gives his work a special appeal: he belonged not only to the history of medicine, but also to the broader cultural life of his time.

Volkmann died on November 28, 1889. His legacy endures both in medicine, where his name remains well known, and in literature, where he stands out as a physician with a genuinely creative second life.