This stone and sculpted bronze memorial in the gardens of St. Georg Hospital in Hamburg honours physician and internist Dr. Gotthard Bülau (1835-1900).
His treatment of pleural empyema, which came to be known as the Bülau drainage, was pioneered at St. Georg. It involved a groundbreaking technique for removing air and fluids from the pleural cavity and established the basis for modern thoracic drainage.
Throughout his career as a researcher and medical practitioner, Dr Bülau contributed to St. Georg’s reputation as a centre of clinical innovation, and medical literature still cites the Bülau drainage as an important milestone in the development of thoracic surgery.
The memorial’s transcription honours Bülau’s work at the hospital over a period of more than twenty years, between 1858 and 1886. The Bulaustraße, a street opposite the hospital, was also dedicated to his achievements.
English translation of the Memorial:
“Dr. Gotthard Bulau (1835-1900) - For more than twenty years, between 1858 and 1886, Dr. Gotthard Bulau served as an internist at St. Georg General Hospital. He pioneered the Bulau drainage, a technique for removing air and fluids from the pleural cavity.”
- Photos by Luca Borghi ti.supmacinu|ihgrob.l#| (July 2025) and page layout by Maria Sofia Sgreccia ti.supmacla|aiccergs.sm#| (November 2025)
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