Franz von Wirer

Franz de Paula Augustin Wirer, later knighted as a Knight of Rescue Bach ( * 1771 in Korneuburg, Lower Austria, † March 30 1844 in Vienna) was a court physician at the Viennese court and personal physician of Emperor Francis I, as well as a teacher at the Vienna School of Medicine and Rector the University of Vienna.

Wirer used the healing effect of the brine and justified by the construction of the first Austrian brine spa's global reputation of Bad Ischl.

Founder of Solebadekur in Ischl

Archduke Ludwig, a brother of Emperor Franz I, already since 1804 spent every summer in Ischl. The notion of a real " cure" was there but only in its infancy. Since about 1820 Sole cures were also known for rheumatic diseases and in great demand. In Germany, France and England, the first mineral baths were built, mainly North Sea baths brought the best results. Then they tried in Austria, to replace the sea water by brine, since this has a similar mineral content as the sea water salinity ( about 27 percent) of the brine could be the individual case, but adapted better.

A local physician, Josef Götz had that rich in minerals, water analyzes, systematic, applied with remarkable success in healing Saline workers suffering from skin diseases and rheumatism by regulation of saltwater pools and published his findings. Interested in these results, traveled Wirer, a former military doctor, now a teacher at the Vienna School of Medicine and the personal physician of Emperor Franz I, who later became rector of the University of Vienna in 1821 with some fellow physicians through the Salzkammergut to Ischl. There was a Saline, was obtained as a waste product in the brine. The healing power of Ischl salt springs was already known at the time of Emperor Maximilian I.. Wirer then came up with the idea to build a saltwater bath in Ischl, especially Ischl has to have a very nice location and good climate. It was only by the reputation of Wirer the breakthrough.

Wirer developed the project systematically. He advocated a holistic therapy, according to the medical cure much of mental exhilaration and relaxation is dependent excited and tried to win the favor of the imperial family. First, he cared about the gastronomic infrastructure. In the year 1821 he took, for example, the confectioner Zauner from Vienna to Ischl, as such for imperial guests could not miss, and ran the " Wirerkeller ".

1822 was Wirer then try the first forty spa guests, celebrities, the brine baths. These reported " the joyful feeling of a born-again in her chest " and exaggerated of course according to word of mouth. 1823 founded Wirer finally together with the first Austrian idol brine baths. Wirer and Götz now led brine baths as a means of therapy in their medical practices and sent their patients to Ischl for a cure.

The reputation Ischls spread rapidly in Europe. Already in 1823 should already have come to Ischl 10,000 spa guests. Therefore Soon the brine baths had to be removed: 1828 " Wirerspital " was built by building the Pfründnerhauses. From 1830 a number of other medical and other facilities to be built at the instigation Wirers in Ischl, which were necessary or conducive to the expansion Ischls from the resort of the Viennese society:

  • A steam bath, a mud bath, a bathing establishment in Ischl, an "institution for the preparation of good mountain whey and fresh herbal juices ," facilities for "Body gymnastics".
  • The " Sophie's Esplanade " (formerly Traun place), with a memorial stone for Archduchess Sophie, and - on Wirers own expense - several walking trails in and around Ischl.
  • Also the spa park of Ischl is a gift of Wirer ( he fixed by contract, that the garden was destined for eternity for this purpose and must never be occupied by buildings).
  • A joint stock company was founded, which had built a theater on the cross course.
  • A post office, a " Small Child care ", a " stranger hospital " and a " spin school" also go back to Wirers initiative.

Due to its merits Wirer was raised to the peerage. 1837/1838 was Wirer co-founder of the Society of Physicians in Vienna, whose presidency he held from 1841 until his death. Wirer highly regarded died on 30 March 1844 in Vienna. He is buried in a grave of honor in Vienna's Central Cemetery (Group 0, number 1, number 55). 1911 Wirerstrasse in Vienna-Favoriten was named after him.

Writings of Wirer

  • Ischl and its saltwater baths, Vienna: Strauss, 1826
  • Contributions in writing to bathing Chronicle of Ischl (etc.), Vienna: Mechitarists, 1836 ( Continued from Wirer 1826)
  • Ischl and its medical institutions. A manual for physicians and laymen ..., Vienna: Pfautsch, 1842
  • About Vaccination and revaccination, and the true value of both ( lecture ), Vienna: Braumüller [ua ], 1842

Literature on Wirer

  • Mush, Johann: Who was Dr. Franz Wirer (1771-1844), in: Communications of the Association Ischler home, No. 17, pp. 6-8
  • Mush, Johann Franz Ritter von Wirer Rettenbachferner ( obituary ), in: Wiener Zeitung, No. 108, 1844
  • Constantin von Wurzbach: Wirer Knights of Rettenbachferner, French In: Biographical Dictionary of the Empire of Austria. Volume 57, published by L. C. Zamarski, Vienna, 1889, pp. 110-113.
  • Julius Leopold Pagel: Wirer Rettenbach, French In: General German Biography (ADB ). Volume 43, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1898, pp. 517 f
Josef Kriehuber Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie Integrated Authority File
349126
de