Alma Barkey Film

Germany 2009
by Uli Aumüller (Alma Barkey)

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.