# Werner Forssmann

_German physician, Nobel prize winner (1904-1979)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/werner-forssmann
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Werner Theodor Otto Forßmann was a German researcher and physician from Germany who shared the 1956 Nobel Prize in Medicine for developing a procedure that allowed cardiac catheterization. In 1929, he put himself under local anesthesia and inserted a catheter into a vein of his arm. Not knowing if the catheter might pierce a vein, he put his life at risk. Forssmann was nevertheless successful; he safely passed the catheter into his heart.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 29 August 1904 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77152#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Berlin ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77152#P19))
- **Died:** 1 June 1979 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77152#P570))
- **Place of death:** Schopfheim ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77152#P20))
- **Citizenship:** German Reich; West Germany ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77152#P27))
- **Occupation:** military physician; surgeon; urologist; cardiologist; physiologist; physician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77152#P106))
- **Political party:** Nazi Party (since 1932) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77152#P102))
- **Education:** Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77152#P69))
- **Positions held:** professor ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77152#P39))
- **Awards:** Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine; Great Cross with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77152#P166))

## Questions

**When was Werner Forssmann born?**  
Werner Forssmann was born on 29 August 1904 in Berlin.

**What positions has Werner Forssmann held?**  
Positions held by Werner Forssmann include: professor.

**Where did Werner Forssmann study?**  
Werner Forssmann was educated at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Werner Forssmann](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Forssmann) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q77152](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q77152) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Werner Forssmann nobel.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Werner_Forssmann_nobel.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Werner Forssmann, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Werner Forssmann nobel.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Werner Forssmann". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/werner-forssmann. Retrieved 5 November 2026.