Born: October 19, 1847 in Wiesbaden
died: February 20, 1903 in Wiesbaden

Friedrich Cramer, the son of a dentist, completed his medical studies in Marburg, Bonn and Würzburg as a pupil of the famous surgeon Bernard von Langenbeck and obtained his doctorate. He then worked as an assistant doctor in Mainz. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, he served in various field hospitals and was awarded the Iron Cross for his achievements.

At the request of his teacher Langenbeck, Cramer went to work as a surgeon at St. Josef's Hospital in Wiesbaden, founded in 1876, where he was appointed chief physician in 1892. Friedrich Cramer subsequently developed into an authority in the field of surgery and published his research findings in numerous articles. His greatest achievement was the development of the "Cramer splint" named after him, a flexible wire conductor splint that was fixed with bandages and used to immobilize fractures and similar injuries. He was also involved in the creation of the X-ray atlas and acted as chairman of the professional association of Wiesbaden doctors. The fact that he carried out many operations on the socially disadvantaged without demanding payment also contributed to the fact that Cramer enjoyed an extremely high reputation among his colleagues and patients.

On the first anniversary of his death, he was honored by the erection of a monument in the vestibule of St. Joseph's Hospital, where he had worked until his sudden death in 1903. The monument itself consists of an approximately 1.80 meter high pedestal on which a life-size bust of Cramer can be seen. Both the bust and the pedestal were designed by the sculptor Professor Joseph Uphues (1850-1911), who had already created the Kaiser Friedrich monument, and were made of light-colored marble.

It was erected in the vestibule of the hospital during a ceremony. Mayor Carl Bernhard von Ibell was one of the guests at the inauguration. The celebrations were introduced by several songs from the Catholic church choir. Afterwards, Dr. Paul Wehmer, Cramer's successor in the position of Chief Physician, paid tribute to the medical achievements and human qualities of his predecessor in his speech. The speech was followed by the blessing of the memorial by Prelate Dr. Adam Keller, after which several wreaths were laid by the memorial committee, representatives of the Heilig-Geist-Spital, the Medical Association, the Association of Wiesbaden Doctors as well as relatives and friends. A further musical performance by the church choir concluded the ceremony.