Otto Spiegelberg
| Born | 1830 |
| Died | 1881 |
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Biography of Otto Spiegelberg
Otto Spiegelberg entered the University of Göttingen at the age 17 and received his doctorate in 1851. He subsequently stayed in Berlin, Vienna, and Prague, was habilitated as Dozent in obstetrics at Göttingen in 1853, and became the assistant of Eduard Kaspar Jakob von Siebold (1801-1861). In 1855 Spiegelberg went for an longer journey to England, Scotland, and Ireland. The impressions from this study tour made him a lasting enthusiast of English ways. n this period he concerned himself particularly with physiological and anatomical works, as well as the mechanism of delivery.
Shortly after having received the appointment as extraordinary professor at Göttingen, Spiegelberg in 1861 accepted an invitation to become full professor of obstetrics in Freiburg im Breisgau. In 1864 he moved on from Freiburg to the same position at Königsberg, where he developed a busy teaching activity, besides being a prolific writer. He expanded both of these activities when he, in 1875, came to the chair at Breslau.
Until the mid 1860’s Spiegelberg mainly concerned himself with obstetrical questions. At Breslau he concentrated his efforts more in the field of operative gynaecology, making major contributions to the diagnostics and operative techniques of ovariotomy. He introduced the test punctation and was recognized for his dextrousness in plastic and fistula operations.
After the closing of the Monatsschrift für Geburtskunde und Frauenkrankheiten (appeared 1853-1869), Spiegelberg and Carl Benno Credé (1847-1929) in 1870 founded the Archiv für Gynäkologie, of which almost every volume contained a contribution of his. During the Franco-Prussian War Spiegelberg headed a hospital at Forbach in northeastern France, just southwest of Saarbrücken. Forbach was the scene of a French defeat.
In 1878 Spiegelberg turned town an invitation to Strasburg. In 1879 he was appointed Geheimer Medizinalrath (privy medical counsellor) and elected rector of the university. He died from contracted kidney and hypertrophy of the heart following a long period of suffering.
