Albrecht von Graefe, the son of Carl Ferdinand von Graefe and Auguste von Alte, was born in Berlin in the family summer house, Finkenheerd, on May 22, 1828. His father, one of the founders of German surgery, director of the surgical clinic of the University of Berlin and author of many important surgical works, was held in high esteem by the royal family and would have gained greater renown save for two reasons—his early and untimely death in 1840 and the fact that the great Dieffenbach was his successor. To Albrecht's mother fell the task of bringing up her five children. The youthful Albrecht spent his boyhood in the spacious family mansion at 48 Behrenstrasse during the winter and at the summer cottage during the warmer months of the year. He received instruction at home from private tutors and then entered the French gymnasium, where, together with his two brothers,