Alfred Dührssen

Who was Alfred Dührssen?

Alfred Dührssen was a German gynecologist and obstetrician born in Heide, Schleswig-Holstein.

He studied medicine at the University of Marburg, as well as the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Akademie für das militärärztliche Bildungswesen. In 1886 he became an obstetrical assistant to Adolf Gusserow in Berlin, and in 1888 he began work as a lecturer at the University of Berlin. In 1892 he opened a private clinic for obstetrics and gynecological diseases.

Dührssen was a prominent figure in modern German gyncecology, being remembered for his pioneer work in surgical practices such as vaginal Caesarean section. He was an advocate of institutional births for all pregnancies, and proposed that pregnant women undergo screening processes to uncover possible difficulties prior to giving birth.