Synopsis
At the center of our historical documentary stands the many-facetted personality of August Bier(1861-1949) director of the University Clinic for Surgery in Berlin, who was connected with important
historical events during his long life. Bier was a man of many talents: an innovative surgeon, he discovered
spinal anaesthesia in a self-experiment; he invented the steel helmet that protected innumerable
soldiers from injury and death during World War I. He also pioneered in forestry, conducting “ecologically”
sustainable experiments on his estate, where he transformed the local sand-and-pine steppe
into a healthy mixed forest. Bier operated on prominent patients, such as Wilhelm II and President
Ebert, who unfortunately died on his operating table. In our documentary we emphasize the contradictory
personality of August Bier, who, dispite his arch-conservative weltanschauung was able to
assert innovative ideas in many areas.
