[Famous cases for amputation]

After a short historical survey 14 cases of celebrated personalities one woman and 13 men, with the grave handicap of amputation are represented. The causes of the lost limbs, once of the nose, were battle injuries (guns) or accidents. In many cases the protheseology followed the amputation, dependent on the technological level of the day. Often medical providing was bad and terrible. The introduction of anaesthesia changed the amputation technique. During different periods from renaissance to the first half of the twentieth century remarkable fates happened. Heroes as the emperor Friedrich III., the knight Goetz von Berlichingen, well known by the spectacle of Goethe, the scientist Tycho Brahe, the merchant and skipper Peter Stuyvesant, the military men Duke Christian II. of Braunschweig-Lueneburg-Wolfenbuettel, William Bayly, Admiral Lord Nelson and Earl Claus Stauffenberg, the actress Sarah Bernhard, the squadron leader of RAF Douglas R. S. Bader and other gave an excellent example for fulfilled life despite handicap. With their artificial legs, arms or hands they rode, fought, shoot, made sports etc.