Max von Pettenkofer, the first professor of hygiene at German universities, is increasingly forgotten. In contrast to his seemingly overpowering competitor, Nobel Prize winner Robert Koch, Max von Pettenkofer and his experimental hygiene exist in the shadows. This biography aims not only to illuminate Pettenkofer's contribution to the scientific establishment of the subject of hygiene but also to highlight the partly adverse conditions he had to contend with. In light of the helplessness of curative medicine against the epidemic diseases that plagued the 19th century, Pettenkofer played a key role in reformulating public health principles. His studies of both the living and non-living environments of humans prompted many Central European cities to undertake comprehensive sanitation efforts and invest enormous sums in the construction and expansion of systematic sewage systems. The portrayal is based on biographical documents and contemporary reports about the person and work of Max von Pettenkofer, as well as his numerous publications.