[Our urologic heritage: Maximilian Nitze (1848-1906). His importance in the development of urology]

In this article we remember the Berlin urologist Maximilian Nitze (1848-1906) who with his invention of the cystoscope 110 years ago founded a new epoch of the urologic-endoscopic diagnostics and therapy. After a short description of his life the importance of his scientific work for the development of urology as an independent medical special subject in the second half of the 19th century is pointed out.