About Franz Weitlaner
Lived 1872 – 1944 (aged 71–72). Franz Weitlaner was an Austrian physician.
Franz Weitlaner (; 1872–1944) was an Austrian physician who is known for designing the self-retaining retractor bearing his name.
Life Weitlaner was born in Welsberg which was at the time in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His initial higher education was in theology, but at the age of 20 he began medical studies at the University of Innsbruck, where he completed his doctorate in 1898 and his clinical training in 1902. After a stint as a ship's surgeon, he married Leopoldine (née Kraubmann), and established a general practice in the remote village of Ottenthal. Lacking adequate surgical assistants there, he developed the retractor which bears his name, publishing an article on its genesis and design in 1905. Weitlaner departed Ottenthal in 1909 to take up similar positions in rural Austria.
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Important facts
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Franz Weitlaner's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Franz Weitlaner?
Austrian physician
When was Franz Weitlaner born?
Franz Weitlaner was born in 1872.
When did Franz Weitlaner die?
Franz Weitlaner died in 1944.
What was Franz Weitlaner's occupation?
Franz Weitlaner was a physician.
What nationality was Franz Weitlaner?
Franz Weitlaner was Austrian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Franz Weitlaner. https://biography.guide/franz-weitlaner/
MLA: "Franz Weitlaner." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/franz-weitlaner/.
Chicago: "Franz Weitlaner." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/franz-weitlaner/.
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