A German scholar, doctor and bacteriologist. He was born in Clausthal-Zellerfeld in 1843, raised in a large family and after finishing his studies started his medical practice. He took part in the Prussia's victorious war against France of 1870-1871.

In the years 1872-1880 he performed the function of the district doctor in Wolsztyn. There he conducted his research on the fatal disease of cattle and sheep - anthrax. He found the answer to the question about what triggers this disease entity. He proved that it is caused by micro-organisms carried through skin or in food into the blood.

For his service to the German state he was transferred to Berlin. Two years later he published the effects of his long-standing work on isolating the tuberculosis bacteria. It had a great impact on diagnostics and treatment of the disease.

For the research on the tuberculosis micro-organisms, also known as the "Koch’s bacilli" in 1905 he was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize.

He died from a heart attack in 1910.