Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis 2008 | 50 Euro | Gold coin

Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis

Semmelweis' fame only came to him many years after his death. Today he is regarded as the "savior of mothers". He was the first to recognize the causes of puerperal fever and contributed to significantly reducing the mortality rate of young mothers through hygiene measures.

Despite his clear success in the fight against infectious diseases through preventative hygiene, Semmelweis' writings were not recognized accordingly. The hospital administration's resistance to him remained strong. Ultimately, Semmelweis went down in the history of science as a tragic hero who, after suffering a nervous breakdown, was taken to a psychiatric hospital where he himself died of an infection.

IMPORTANT: The folder shown will be enclosed depending on stock.

Text courtesy of the Austrian Mint.

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