[August Gottlieb Richter: urological aspects of his comprehensive operative and scientific work].

August Gottlieb Richter (1742-1812) was one of the most distinguished surgeons in the second half of the eighteenth century. In this article his life and scientific career during an age shaken by wars and radical changes are described. Particular attention is paid to his achievements as a doctor, teacher and scientific author. The latter activity finds its foremost expression in the"Chirurgische Bibliothek" ("Surgical library"), a practice-oriented scientific journal, as well as in his later work"Anfangsgrunde der Wundarzneykunst" ("Elements of wound surgery"). This article concentrates on the urological aspects of his work and compares these aspects with contemporary publications. Particular emphasis is placed on Richter's dispute about fashionable medical trends typical for that era as well as his culture of criticism and self-criticism.