Background: The first special ENT hospital in Germany and northern Europe, the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head- and Neck-Surgery "Otto Körner" in Rostock is celebrating its 100th anniversary on October 25, 1999.
Methods: There is a presentation on the efforts in the ENT-specialty from the beginning considering the special situation at the university of Rostock.
Results: The efforts of Christian Lemcke (1850-1894), who associated the three sections Otology, Laryngology and Rhinology are appreciated, Otto Körner (1859-1935) continued this development. He achieved the building of a special ENT-hospital by his excellent knowledge and surgical skills. The opening date was October 25, 1899, Körner became the first full professor in Otology and Laryngology in Germany in 1901. His "Textbook Of Otology And It's Bordering Specialties" was published in 1906. As one of the first, he supported the independence of ENT-medicine as a separate field in the course of medicine.
Conclusion: Today, Otto Körner's claims are more relevant than ever before, because the today's students in their practical course of medicine and even young doctors at the hospitals obviously show a lack of knowledge in the ENT-field. The current "multiple choice" type of examinations could be one of the main reasons.