Hermann Johannes Pfannenstiel (1862-1909)

Abstract

The gynaecologist Hermann Johannes Pfannenstiel died 80 years ago, on July 3, 1909, from the sequelae of an occupational accident. His death marked the unexpected end of a splendid career as a physician, whose heritage in terms of humanity and scientific achievements is most impressive, even today. Pfannenstiel was born in Berlin on June 28, 1862. He studied medicine in Berlin (1880-1885) against his father's wishes and was therefore deprived of any financial support. Nevertheless, he completed his studies and his doctorate thesis ("summa cum laude") in 1885. Pfannenstiel was trained by v. Rabenau (Berlin; gynaecology), Pauly (Posen; surgery, internal medicine) and Fritsch (Breslau; gynaecology), and became a lecturer at the University of Breslau in 1890 ("Habilitation"). In 1889 he married Elisabeth Behlendorff, and in 1890 his only son Wilhelm was born. In January 1894 he established a private practice in Breslau until he was awarded a professorship in 1896. In the same year he became director of the Department of Gynaecology at a hospital in Breslau (Krankenhaus der Elisabethinerinnen), where he developed in 1900 his world-famous transverse laparotomy technique (suprasymphysärer Faszienquerschnitt) named after him ("Pfannenstiel-Querschnitt"). From 1891 he was secretary of the German Society for Gynaecology (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gynäkologie) and since 1896 he was co-editor of the Archives of Gynaecology (Archiv für Gynäkologie). In 1902 Pfannenstiel was offered the chair of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Giessen to succeed Chr. A. H. Löhlein, who had died in 1901. He rejected three other chairs at Leyden (Holland), Erlangen and Freiburg which were offered to him in 1904.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)