Quick Facts
- Born:
- Aug. 14, 1840, Mannheim, Baden [Germany]
- Died:
- Dec. 22, 1902, near Graz, Austria (aged 62)
- Notable Works:
- “Psychopathia Sexualis”
- Subjects Of Study:
- psychopathology
- human sexual activity
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Richard, baron von Krafft-Ebing
German psychologist
Richard, baron von Krafft-Ebing (born Aug. 14, 1840, Mannheim, Baden [Germany]—died Dec. 22, 1902, near Graz, Austria) was a German neuropsychiatrist who was a pioneering student of sexual psychopathology.
Educated in Germany and Switzerland, Krafft-Ebing was appointed professor of psychiatry at Strasbourg at the age of 32. His interests ranged from genetic functions in insanity and sexual deviation to epilepsy, paralysis agitans, and hemicrania. He also established the relationship between syphilis and general paresis and performed experiments in hypnosis. Krafft-Ebing is best known today for his Psychopathia Sexualis (1886), a groundbreaking examination of sexual aberrations.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.