Hi sto r y of medi c in e The Heitzmannfamily - pioneers in the medica! community 
The Heitzmannfamily-
pioneers in the medica/ community 
I. Hackstock 
SUMMARY 
Throughout the 19th century there is evidence of activities of the Heitzn,,ann family. Martin (1804-1889) 
became an army doctor and veterinarian and lived in Vinkovci, la ter on in Budapest asa Senior Veterinarian 
of all Hungary. His eldest son Carl (1836-1 896) focused on dermatology and pathology in Vienna. In 
cooperation with Anton Elfinger he was responsible for highly qualified scientific illustrations of the Vienna 
Medical School. In 187 4 he emigrated to New York and was a founding member of the American 
Dermatological Association. His brother Julius (1847-1922) lived in Vienna, illustrated his own books, 
mostly on gynecology, and was responsible tor the ongoing publication of Carl's books. Today the only 
descendants of the family live in the United States. 
Martin Heitzmann 
In Subotica (Szabadka) a son was bom to the wine 
merchant Joseph Heitzmann and his wife Thecla in 
October 1804. The boy was baptized with the name of 
Martinus given to him. (1,2,3) 
After attending the secondary school in his home-
town, Martin decided to pursue a military career. In 1823 
he entered the Medica! Service but w as granted a leave 
to serve his tirne of three years as a student at the Military 
Medica! Joseph's Academy in Vienna. In 1829 he 
graduated, receiving a degree of Master of Surgery, 
Obstetrics and Ophthalmology. Subsequently he was 
trained for two years at Vienna's Institute of Veterinary 
Medicine, completing his studies as a certified vete-
rinarian in 1835. By November ofthe same year he was 
Acta Dermatoven APA Vol 9, 2000, No 1 
posted with the Brooder Border Infantry Regiment No. 
7, obtaining the title of Senior Army Doctor and Vete-
rinarian. He and his wife Franziska Apollonia nee 
Menze! settled in Vinkovci, which today is part of Cro-
atia. Until 1843 the Heitzmanns had two boys and one 
girl. 
Because of his reliability, his expert knowledge and 
his discipline, Martin Heitzmann was well liked in his 
Regiment. He was in good command of all the languages 
that prevailed in tl1is region ancl mainly clevotecl himself 
to veterinary medicine, focusing on epiclemic control. 
In 1844 Martin Heitzmann appliecl for the vacant 
position of a Senior Veterinarian for all Hunga1y ancl 
was acceptecl. 
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The Heitzmann.family - pioneers in the medica! community 
The family, the couple and their two children Carl 
and Franziska, moved to Buda pest where sonJulius was 
bom in 1847. 
From 1853 to 1856 Martin Heitzmann was Deputy 
Head and Professor at the Institute of Veterina1y Me-
dicine in Pest, taking over from Prof.Vilmos Zlamal. In 
the fifties two more children were bom to the couple, 
Gustav in 1855 and Adolf in 1857. 
Until 1862 Martin Heitzmann was a member of the 
official Board of Examiners at the Institute, sometimes 
acting 2.lso as its chairman. In the same year there were 
considerations to altogether abandon the function of a 
Senior Veterinarian for ali Hunga1y; however, Martin 
Heitzmann's expertise could not be dispensed with and 
it was thus decided to keep him in office until veterinary 
district commissioners could be installed. 
The sons Carl andJulius moved to Vienna in 1857 
and 1865 respectively in order to take up their medica! 
studies. Franziska, Gustav and Adolf remained in 
Buda pest with their parents. The two younger sons died 
oftuberculosis in 1873 and 1882. Franziska Heitzmann 
survived this tragedy by a mere three years and died in 
1885 ofheart failure. Aft:er the passing ofhis wife, Martin 
Heitzmann bas tak en care of by his unmarried daughter 
Franziska. I-Ie died on April 2, 1889 of old age infirmity. 
(4) 
Carl Heitzmann 
I-Ie was the oldest son of Martin and Franziska 
Heitzmann, having been bom in Vinkovci, on October 
2, 1836. In 1844 he moved to Budapest with his family 
where he attended the Piaristengymnasium, where he 
graduated in 1854, embarking on a medica! career that 
commenced with a 6-year study at the University of Pest. 
In the winter semester 1857 he went to Vienna, having 
been awarded a Maria Theresia grant of 80 Guilders 
per year. For the subsequent two years he attended 
lect:ures by such eminent representatives of the Vienna 
Medica! School as Joseph Skoda, Johann Dumreicher, 
Johann Dlauhy, Joseph Hyrtl, Ferdinand von Arlt, Carl 
von Rokitansky, Johann Oppolzer and Ernst Wilhelm 
von Bri.icke (7). I-Ie successfully passed his fina! 
examinations and received the title of Medicinae Doctor 
(MD) in December 1859. Without granting himself a 
respite, he started to prepare for the specialist degree 
in surge1y, which he was awarded in April 1861 (5,6). 
Heitzmann settled down in the 8th District ofVienna 
in close proximity to the Allgemeines Krankenhaus 
(General I-Iospital). I-Ie made the acquaintance ofAnna 
Margaretha Wolfram from Drahthammer in Germany, 
daughter of the master dyer Johann and his wife 
Theresia. Apparently living in Vienna, she was an 
embroideress and also did other kinds of needlework. 
In August 1861 Anna Margaretha Wolfram gave birth 
36 
History ofmedi cine 
to a girl who was given the name ofHildegarde Caroline. 
The child bom out of wedlock was legitimized by the 
marriage of Anna Margaretha to Carl Heitzmann in No-
vember of that same year. In 1864 Ludwig Joseph was 
bom and in 1867 Wilhelm Martin who unfortunately 
died of scarlet fever at the age of five. Daughter Carolina 
Margaretha Theresia, the last of the Heitzmann children, 
was bom in 1868. 
Carl I-Ieitzmann's further education and training 
were sponsored by such celebrities as Franz Schuh, 
Ferdinand von I-Iebra, Salomon Stricker and Carl von 
Rokitansky. From Franz Schuh he received the last tou-
ches in surgery, Ferdinand von I-Iebra was his teacher 
in dermatology, he worked in Salomon Stricker's Insti-
tute for Experimental Pathology and he was Carl von 
Rokitansky's disciple in pathological anatomy. In 1873 
he received his venia legendi in this discipline. I-Ie was 
now an Associate Professor and this step in his career 
made him a likely successor to Rokitansky. 
Scientific research soon became a matter of conside-
rable significance to him. In his early publications he 
primarily focused on celi research, plasma and dermato-
logical problems (8) 
Only three years after graduating, he published a 
Compendium C>j'Surgical Pathology and Therapy, using 
the pen name of Wilhelm Carl Fischer. It was an 
encyclopedia designed to grant students a better access 
to this complex topic. The compendium was illustrated 
w ith 100 wooden engravings for which Heitzmann 
himselfmade the designs. By 1871 three editions ofthis 
book had been published, the last one with a supple-
ment on surgical instruments, dressing methods and 
approaches to surge1y. 
I-Iowever, his most important opus was the Descrip-
tive and Topographic Human Anatomy, an atlas com-
prising two volumes with 600 illustrations. It was first 
published in 1870; nine more editions followed, among 
them a posthumous one edited by Emil Zuckerkandl 
between 1902 and 1905. It was translated into severa! 
languages and remained the standard textbook of 
anatomy in the German-speaking area until well into 
the 20tl1 century. 
Carl Heitzmann was highly talented in drawing, but 
there is no evidence either in Budapest or in Vienna 
that he ever attended a School of Fine Arts. 
Nevertheless, knowledge of his talent spread quickly 
in Vienna. I-Ie cooperated with Dr. Anton Elfinger, a 
senior colleague of his, in drawing up an atlas on 
dermatological diseases, most certainly representing the 
climax of scientific illustrations in the Vienna Medica! 
School of the 19th century. Carl called himself the 
painthrush C>/' the scholars; for 16 years he designed 
illustrations comprising ali disciplines (9,10). 
Ferdinand von I-Iebra's Atlas C>j' Skin Diseases was 
published in 10 volumes during the years 1856-1876: 
The sole purpose of this work was to present dermato-
Acta Dermatoven APA Vol 9, 2000, No 1 
History of medicine 
logical pathology for educational purposes. Most pro-
bably Elfinger started his work on the original water-
colors as early as 1843. In 1859 he was joined by Carl 
Heitzmann who was a reliable assistant, continuing 
where Elfinger left off after his death in 1864. 
Heitzmann supplemented and finished the tables 
started by his predecessor ancl put them through the 
process of lithography. 
Until he left Vienna in 1874, Carl mainly focused on 
the reprocluction of microscopic observations. In the 
same year it became evident that he could not bank on 
becoming Rokitansky's successor and like many others, 
sharing the same fate of having been deniecl a profe-
ssional career in their native country, he decidecl to 
emigrate to the United States of America. 
In October 1874 Heitzmann and his family left Ham-
burg with destination New York. He settlecl down in 
this city, opening a pathology lab and a dermatological 
practice. He was a founding member of the American 
Dermatological Association (ADA) and within a brief 
period achieved a high professional standing. Never-
theless, most American colleagues hacl a rather doubting 
approach to Heitzmann because he always gave priority 
to European scientific results ancl was somewhat 
skeptical with regard to achievements of American 
scientists . 
In 1884 the family suffered a severe blow - the 
youngest daughter Carolina callecl Carrie diec.l of 
tuberculosis at the age of only 16. 
In 1895 Carl Heitzmann c.lelivered a lecture at the 
College of Physicians in Vienna, giving an account of 
20 years scientific experience in the Unitec.l States . He 
was proud to repo1t that 1.000 student~ had been t.rained 
at his Laborat01y for Microscopy and that 50 scientific 
papers hac.l been published emanating from this 
institution (11,12). 
At the beginning of 1896 his wife ancl daughter 
Hilc.legarc.le accompanied Carl on a trip to Germany 
where he was treatecl for his cardiac condition. From 
there they traveled to Rome where he was supposed to 
recover. However, on December 6, 1896 he sufferecl a 
heart attack to which he succumbecl, agecl only 60 years. 
The attempt to track c.lown the Heitzmann family in 
the United States was severely obstmcted by bureau-
cratic hurdles but finally proc.lucecl results: 
Carl's oldest daughter Hildegarde Bernis nee I-Ieitz-
mann had only one daughter of the same name who 
died unmarried. However, Carl's son Ludwig, who callecl 
himself Louis in the United States , continu ed the 
genealogical line. He too became a physician and 
university professor, mainly publishing in the fielc.ls of 
urology ancl clermatology. He also translated his father' s 
work into English. He was marriecl to a German; the 
couple hac.l four children. Ali of them except Erna Keitel 
nee Heitzmann died unmarriec.l. Erna had two 
Acta Dermatoven APA Vol 9, 2000, No 1 
The Heitzmann.family - pioneers in the medica/ community 
daughters , Vera anc.l Eugenia. Eugenia is still alive ancl 
lives in North Carolina. She and her two chilc.lren are 
the only descenclants of Carl Heitzmann in the United 
States. 
Julius Heitzmann 
Julius was bom in Budapest on December 22, 1847, 
the fourth chilcl of Martin and Franziska Heitzmann. Like 
his brother Carl , he too attenclecl the Piaristengym-
nasium in Pest. When he was 18, he joined his brother 
in Vienna where he startecl his medica! stuclies in the 
w inter semester 1865/66. I-Ie was an excellent student, 
graduating in 1871 with a MD. In 1871, he obtained his 
specialist's qualification in surge1y, continuing to work 
as an intern in the Wiedner Pediatric Hospital. He then 
changecl to the Department of Gynecology at the 
Allgemeines Krankenhaus under Professor Ludwig 
Brandl, focusing on special problems in gynecology. 
Severa! of his own publications are clocumented. 
Julius too was a great talent in drawing. I-Ie worked 
together with his brother Carl, designing illustrations 
for the Surgery Compendium. At the same tirne he 
publishecl his own Gynecology Compendium with 126 
wooden engravings according to his own designs. After 
his brother left Vienna, he devoted himself to the new 
eclitions of Carl 's Compendia. It seems as though.Julius 
had always been in his brother's shaclow; although harcl 
working and highly appreciated, he was denied both a 
venia legendi ancl a professorship. Discouraged by these 
developments, he withdrew into his office asa General 
Practitioner in Vienna's 9th District. 
In 1873 Julius was wed to Therese Wowczicka from 
Moravia. They had four chilclren, the only son Karl bom 
in 1873 and the daughters Friederika (1875) , Karoline 
(1877) and Emma (1879). The family moved to a place 
more appropriate to their status in Vienna's Waehringer 
Strafie and it seems that they were rather well off. 
Karl startecl to study law at the University ofVienna 
in 1874. However, after one semester he clecidedinfavor 
of medicine ancl receivecl his MD in 1901. He moved to 
St.Georgen/ Langsee in the Province of Carinthia where 
he was appointed District Physician. In 1903 he married 
Anna Altzinger from Upper Austria but only one year 
later he cliecl of tuberculosis. 
After Martin Heitzmann's death in 1889 Julius' sister 
Franziska also went to Vienna. She suffered from dropsy 
and needecl her brother's medica! care. From the estate 
procedure after her death in 1918 it may be concluded 
thatJulius ' claughter Karoline was no longer alive at that 
tirne. It was said that she hacl inheritecl her father's gin 
for drawing ancl was a painter in her own right. 
Therese Heitzmann does not seem to have overcome 
the early death of two of her chilclren. She left her 
37 
The Heitzmannfamily - pioneers in the medica/ community 
husband in 1910 and lived with her daughters Frida and 
Emma in suburban Vienna. Julius remained alone. In 
Janua1y 1922 he moved to the Versorgungsheim Lainz 
(a municipal home for the aged and disabled) where 
he died of an ai1way infection onJanuary 26, 1922, aged 
75 years. 
the renow ned Vienna School of Music from where they 
graduated. They owned a piano, w hich had formerly 
belonged to their grandparents in Budapest. 
Therese Heitzmann diecl in 1935 at 85 of olcl age 
infirmity, her daughter Emma in 1937 asa result of an 
untreated open fracture of the hip joint. During the 
Second World War the region around Franzen became 
a military zone ancl ali the people from this area were 
evacuated. The surviving claughter Frida moved with 
her nurse to the Kamptal, a scenic valley situated nearby 
where she was most likely stil! alive at the end of the 
war but died of a stroke before the arrival of the Reci 
Army in 1945, agecl 70. With her death the genealogical 
line after Julius Heitzmann had come to an ene!. 
The three Heitzmann ladies left Vienna in 1926 and 
settled in the village ofFranzen in Lower Austria. Accord-
ing to a report of a contempora1y still alive, the ladies 
were very elegant, their language sophisticated and in 
their house they had luxurious furniture. Both Frida and 
Emma spake severa! languages, the former a teacher 
and the latter a nurse. Emma was posted in Slovenia at 
the end of World War I. Both daughters had attended 
"CI' "i? l/ v o v ~T C ·,;, R .i. l. .L~ .l. 1.A .J. \ . l . .< .L ~ ,.__; .f. . .t l. .• 
AUTHOR'S 
ADDRESS 
Acta Dermatoven APA Vol 9, 2000, No 1 
l. Frama lecture in Budapest, Hungarian Association for the History of Medicine, on April 27, 1995. 
2. Hackstock I. Martin Heitzmann (1804-1889) Ein Militar- und Tierarzt im alten bsterreich. Wiener 
Klinische Wochenschrift (1997) 109/20:816-819. 
3. Research in the Archives of Vienna/Austria, Budapest!Hungary, Regensburg/Germany, Salt Lake City 
andNewYork, bolh USA. 
4. Information from Dr.GabriellaJantsits and Prof.Dr.Denes Karasszon, Budapest, Hungary. 
5. Glesinger L. Vinkovčanin Karlo Heitzmann, zaboravljeni liječnik i umjetnik. Saopcenja. Zagreb 
1974;17: 193-197. 
6. Hackstock I. Carl Heitzmann (1836-1896): physician and illustrator. International Journal of 
Dermatology 1998; 37:235-240. 
7. Lesky E. Die Wiener Medizinische Schule im 19. Jahrhundert. Graz-Kiiln: Biihlau, 1965. 
8. Holubar K, Schmidt C, Wolff K. Challenge Dermatology, Vienna: Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1993. 
9. Hackstock I. Die wissenschaftlichen Illustrationen der Wien er Medizinischen Schule (The Scientific 
Illustrations of Vienna Medical School), Vienna, 1988, thesis. 
10. Holubar K, Schmidt C. Art in Dermatology versus Dermatology in Art. Anton Elfinger (1821-1864) 
and Carl Heitzmann (1836-1896) Hebra's forgotten Painter-Physicians. International Journal of 
Dermatology 1994;5:385-387. 
11. Heitzmann C. Twenty years of scientific activities in America. Wien er Klinische Wochenschrift 1895; 
31:561-564. 
12. Heitzmann L. Recollections of my father. Uro! Cutan Rev 1938; 42:127-128. 
Ingrid Hackstock PhD, clo Institutefor the History oj Medicine, Waehringer 
Strasse 25,A-1090 Vz.enna,Austria 
39