Robert von Olshausen was an outstanding German gynecologist at the turn of the century and a pioneer of operative gynaecology. His fields of excellency were ovarotomy, the problems of asepsis, carcinoma therapy and the development of obstetrics in general. Under his chairmansship, the Berlin Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Universitäts-Frauenklinik) became the leading Clinic in Germany. For many years Olshausen was the chairman of the Berlin Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, since 1894 as honorary chairman. The present paper is a biography of Robert von Olshausen, showing his importance for the development of the modern gynaecology in Berlin and Germany.