Carl Wilhelm Ludwig Bruch (1819-1884)

Universitätsbibliothek Basel

Carl Wilhelm Ludwig Bruch was born in 1819 in the city of Mainz. He studied medicine in Berlin and later in Gießen, where he received his doctorate in 1842. In 1844 Bruch was appointed to a position at the University of Heidelberg.

Here he helped Tiedemann teach the anatomy, pathologic anatomy, embryology as well as the evolving histology courses. In his quest to become a professor, Bruch published an article on his discovery of a membrane in the eye.

However, in January 1845 he was informed by the University that, because of current laws, he had to translate his submission from German into Latin. Instead of translating this work, he instead chose to submit a new article on rigor mortis. Bruch received a summa cum laude for this work, but his initial article about "Bruch's membrane" in the eye made him forever famous in anatomy.

In 1850 he accepted a professorship in Basel, but returned to Gießen 5 years later, where he continued his professional career. Because of poor health he was forced into retirement at the age of 41, only 5 years after his "calling".

He continued teaching, though. Bruch gave presentations for the Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft (Senckenberg Society of Scientists) in Frankfurt, in which his friend the anatomist Johann Christian Lucae was also a member. In 1884 Bruch died in an asylum for the mentally ill in Heppenheim due to an unknown nervous disorder.

To the digitized works by Carl Wilhelm Ludwig Bruch

Requests, suggestions and criticism to Dr.sc.hum. Sara Doll