Heinrich Obersteiner

Biography of Heinrich Obersteiner

Heinrich Obersteiner, the son and grandson of Vienna physicians, studied in his native city, and already whilst a student concerned himself with scientific work in Ernst Wilhelm von Brücke’s (1819-1892) laboratory. Before receiving his doctorate he published his first neurological work, contributions to the knowledge of the fine build of the Kleinhirnrinde. He obtained his doctorate in 1870, was habilitated for anatomy and pathology of the nervous system in 1873, becoming ausserordentlicher Professor in 1880, titular ordentlicher professor in 1898. From 1872 he was head of the private mental asylum (Privatirrenanstalt) in Ober-Döbling near Vienna.

Despite severe shortages of funding, he began the establishment of the nurological institute, later called Österreichisches Interakademisches Zentralinstitut für Hirnforschung, which attracted pupils from all over the world, and which occasioned a large numebr of works. These works made up the major work Arbeiten aus dem Neurologischen Institute, which up to his death filled 22 volumes. It was published in Leipzig and Vienna from 1892.