February 19

Carl von Rokitansky was born in 1804 in Hradec Králové (now Czech Republic) and became a leading medical scientist. He served as professor and director of the Pathological-Anatomical University Hospital in Vienna. Rokitansky conducted over 30,000 autopsies, systematically cataloging disease processes and anatomical variations. He co-founded the Vienna School of Medicine and introduced rigorous pathological classification methods. Later in life, he wrote philosophical works exploring the relationship between science and spirituality. His contributions laid the groundwork for modern pathology and influenced generations of medical researchers.