The life of E. Grafenberg born on September 26 1881 is summarized in celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth. During his time as assistant doctor in Kiel Grafenberg published several scientifically important papers and studied the physiology of egg implantation particularly with regard to the effect of tryptic enzymes of the zona pellucida. An acknowledged specialist in obstetrics and gynecology Grafenberg developed a method for the prevention of egg implantation based on scientific work on nidation he had done. This method was named after him the Grafenberg ring. Not until 1959 after the ring had been modified did it become a worldwide recognized method for family planning. This was 2 years after his death. After the period of the orthopedics Grafenberg was considered to be the father of modern contraceptive devices (IUDs) which lie embedded in the uterus cavity and which were developed from the silkworm slights described by Richter in 1909. Grafenberg studied medicine in Gottingen and Munich and obtained his doctorate on March 10 1905. In 1905 he moved to the obstetrical and gynecological department of the University of Kiel and began his specialization under Dr. R. Werth and Dr. H.J. Pfannenstiel. During his sojourn in Kiel Grafenberg published at least 12 papers proving that he was a scientific researcher of importance not only because of his results but also because of his powers of observation. At age 28 he wrote a paper dealing with the suprarenal cancer of the vulva as a single metastasis of a malignant suprarenal cancer of the left side. These considerations laid the foundation for the Grafenberg theory. A short while later Grafenberg published the results of his research on the physiology of egg implantation. Up to 1929 he published 7 further papers on different problems such as sexual specificity of female blood pathology of the placenta in eclampsia serology of pregnancy and vaginal discharge. After 10 years of research and the insertion of some 100 IUDs Grafenberg gave his 1st lecture on silk as a method of contraception in Berlin in 1928. During the following years many leading gynecologists pointed out the difference between the Grafenberg ring which was situated in isolation in the cavum uteri and the conventional intrauterine pessaries which established a connection between the vagina and the uterine cavity.