Alexander Kolisko

Who was Alexander Kolisko?

Alexander Kolisko was an Austrian pathologist who was a native of Vienna. He was the father of anthroposophist Eugen Kolisko.

In 1881 Kolisko earned his medical doctorate from the University of Vienna, subsequently working as an assistant to Hans Kundrat at the pathological anatomy institute at the university. Later, he was a prosector at the Leopoldstädter Kinderspital in Vienna. In 1898 he succeeded Eduard von Hofmann as a professor of forensic medicine, and in 1916 was successor to Anton Weichselbaum as professor of pathological anatomy at the University of Vienna.

Kolisko is remembered for his work in forensic pathology. He was particularly interested in the pathology of sudden death, leaving the criminal and legal aspects of the subject to his assistant Albin Haberda. Also, he conducted extensive studies involving the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning on the brain, and with obstetrician Carl Breus, he developed a classification system for pelvic disorders.