Discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Date: March 24, 1882 • Location: Berlin, Germany

Robert Koch announces the discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis.

Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch was a German physician and microbiologist. He won the 1905 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for his investigations and discoveries in relation to tuberculosis".

This milestone marked a defining occurrence in Germany's and world history, leaving an indelible imprint on societal development, international relations, and cultural memory. Its enduring ramifications continue to be examined and commemorated by historians and scholars across the globe.