German ophthalmologist, born March 10, 1831, Greifswald; died 1896.
Biography of Rudolf Schirmer
Rudolf Schirmer received his first education in Greifswald, then studied in Göttingen, Berlin, Paris, and Vienna.. He was mainly a pupil of Albrecht von Graefe (1828-1870). After receiving his doctorate in 1865, he settled permanently in his native city of Greifswald, where he was habilitated for ophthalmology in 1860. He was appointed extraordinarius in 1867, and in 1873 was called to the chair of his speciality, while also becoming director of the university eye clinic. He retired from his office in 1893 and died as privy medical councellor in 1896.
As the first Privatdozent of ophthalmology in Greifswald he introduced separate academic teaching of his speciality, thus separating it from surgery.
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