[The professor and the seamstress: an episode in the life of Jacob Henle].

Jacob Henle was a great German anatomist and one of the most important histologists of all times. One of the most commonly used eponymous terms in renal histology is the loop of Henle, but many other anatomical and pathological findings are associated with his name. During his stay in Zurich he fell in love with Elise Egolff who worked as a maid and seamstress in the house of one of his friends. No one could ever imagine how the wide social chasm that separated the servant-girl and the professor could be bridged. Henle arranged for his sister Marie to educate Elise and give her social polish. In a short time Elise was transformed into a lady of the world. A year and a half later Jacob and Elise were married. This episode inspired the novelist Auerbach to write the novel "The Professor's Wife", and the play "Pygmalion" by George B Shaw.