Paul Ehrlich dies

© Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin Paul Ehrlich

On 20 August 1915, the physician Paul Ehrlich dies in Bad Homburg at age 61. This son of a Jewish liqueur producer made significant contributions to researching blood diseases and thereby created the foundation for modern haematology. At the Institute for Infectious Diseases in Berlin (today the Robert Koch Institute) he conducted fundamental research into immunity. In 1908 Ehrlich received the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his valuation of diphtheria serum. In 1909 he discovered salvarsan (dioxy-diamino-arsenobenzol- dihydrochloride, also called „Preparation 606“): the first effective treatment for the „people’s disease“ syphilis. For that reason Ehrlich is also considered to be the founder of modern chemotherapy.