Tuberculosis, rabies, the plague, cholera, tetanus, diphtheria… For the greater good of humanity, Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch challenged each other in all fields. The former, a Frenchman, gained worldwide renown for his development of the rabies vaccine. The latter, a German, would go on to receive the Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of the tuberculosis bacterium.
This rivalry, intensified by nationalist sentiments amid the backdrop of the Franco-Prussian War, would ultimately lead to one of the most significant breakthroughs in the realm of medicine: the elucidation of the role of bacteria in the transmission of diseases. In the late 19th century, when epidemics were devastating populations, their rivalry would come to reshape the landscape of science.
Documentary: Pasteur & Koch : The Race against Microbes
Directed by: Mathieu Schwartz
Production: Martange Production