[Karl Ludwig Kahlbaum--his life and work until his recognition as a psychiatrist. The occasion of the 100th anniversary of his death, April 15, 1999].

Papers by Harms [3] and Thieme [19] acknowledge Kahlbaum as a pioneer in the field of children and adolescent psychiatry as well as the work in his asylum in Görlitz, whereas Katzenstein [8] analyses his contribution to the development of psychiatry as theory. The present article is meant as a supplement to these. It is devoted to Kahlbaum's life before he became accepted as a therapist as well as scientist. As a result, first of all by having investigated his student time in Leipzig, it can prove conjectures that Kahlbaum became interested in psychiatric issues rather late. Furthermore the paper reconstructs the discussion lead around his most well-known scientific work, his nosology of 1863, and substantiates the fact that its author experienced appreciation in this particular field only decades later.