Gerard van Swieten was born on May 7, 1700, in Leiden, a university town in the Netherlands, which was already famous for its excellent medical school at the time. Fate did not spare young Gerard—in 1712, at the age of only twelve, he lost his parents and was left an orphan. This experience could have broken many, but van Swieten showed remarkable determination. In 1720, he began his medical studies under the tutelage of Herman Boerhaave himself, a legend of European medicine whose clinical methods and approach to teaching revolutionized medical science at the time. Boerhaave taught bedside observation, rejecting scholastic speculation in favor of empiricism—a lesson that van Swieten remembered for the rest of his life.

After graduating in 1725, van Swieten practiced in the Netherlands, gaining a reputation as an outstanding diagnostician and clinician. His fame reached the court of Vienna, where Empress Maria Theresa, a young ruler who had ascended the throne in 1740 under the difficult circumstances of the War of the Austrian Succession, was desperately seeking ways to modernize the backward Habsburg state. Austria's medical system was in a deplorable state—there were no modern clinics, treatment methods were outdated, and surgery was treated as a low-level craft. In 1743, Maria Theresa first offered van Swieten the position of court physician, but the Dutchman refused. It was not until two years later, in May 1745, that van Swieten, convinced by the vision of reform and the possibility of having a real impact on the health system of the entire empire, arrived in Vienna.

The whole family moved in the summer of 1745, and van Swieten immediately set to work. He was not satisfied with the role of a mere court physician – he wanted to change the face of Austrian medicine. That same year, he founded the First Vienna Medical School, introducing bedside teaching, revolutionary for Austria, modeled on the methods of his master Boerhaave. For the first time, medical students were able to observe real clinical cases, participate in medical visits, and touch and examine patients under the supervision of experienced clinicians. This was a breakthrough in medical education that elevated Vienna to the rank of a European center of medical science.

In 1754, van Swieten oversaw the creation of the first modern clinic in Vienna, equipped according to the latest standards. He also founded Hortus Medicus, a botanical garden for research on medicinal plants, and a chemical laboratory where pharmacological experiments were conducted. Surgery, previously considered a profession for barbers and barber-surgeons, was elevated to the status of a fully-fledged medical discipline. Van Swieten understood that true reform required not only a change in the curriculum, but a complete overhaul of institutional medicine. His energy and vision were contagious – he gathered around him a group of young, ambitious doctors, ready to introduce modernity into the conservative Viennese environment. For solo travelers interested in the history of medicine, Vienna has become a city where every corner tells the story of this extraordinary transformation, and city tours following in van Swieten's footsteps reveal fascinating chapters of the past.

The year 1755 brought van Swieten the most extraordinary task of his career - a task that earned him the nickname 'vampire hunter'. In Moravia, a region bordering Austria, panic broke out over alleged vampire attacks. Villagers reported mysterious deaths and night-time visits from deceased relatives, and the local authorities responded in a way that seems barbaric today – they dug up the bodies of the dead, drove wooden stakes into them, cut off their heads and burned the remains. Hysteria spread like an epidemic, and Maria Theresa, an enlightened and rational ruler, decided to solve the vampire problem once and for all using scientific methods. She sent her most trusted advisor, Gerard van Swieten.

Van Swieten arrived in Moravia with an open mind, but also with scientific skepticism. He conducted a detailed investigation, interviewed witnesses, examined exhumed bodies, and analyzed the circumstances of the deaths. What he discovered had nothing to do with the supernatural. The dead who were accused of vampirism showed natural signs of decomposition—bodies did not always decompose at the same rate, depending on soil and climatic conditions. The blood in the mouth, which was interpreted as evidence of drinking the victims' blood, was simply the result of post-mortem processes. Van Swieten identified the deaths attributed to vampires as the result of an epidemic - probably typhus or another infectious disease spreading in overcrowded, unhealthy rural conditions.

In his report to the empress, van Swieten did not leave a dry thread on vampire beliefs. He described them as the result of 'vain fear, superstitious credulity, and ignorance'. His argument was ruthless and logical - he showed how fear and lack of education lead to irrational behavior, how rumors and mass hysteria can turn natural phenomena into evidence of the existence of monsters. Most importantly, van Swieten presented specific solutions: improved sanitation, education of the population, proper burial procedures, and, above all, a ban on barbaric practices related to the 'fight against vampires'. Convinced by the arguments of her court physician, Maria Theresa issued an edict in 1755 prohibiting the staking, decapitation, and burning of bodies suspected of vampirism. It was a triumph of reason over superstition, of science over superstition.

The story does not end in Moravia. In 1758, van Swieten was called upon to investigate another case related to superstition - a witchcraft trial in Zagreb, where a certain Magda Logomer was accused of witchcraft and sentenced to death. Van Swieten, using the same methods of rational analysis, demonstrated the absurdity of the accusations. His report convinced Maria Theresa to overturn the death sentence and put an end to witch trials in Croatia. For van Swieten, the fight against superstition was as important as the reform of medicine – he understood that public health depended not only on access to doctors and medicines, but also on education and rational thinking. His legacy in this field cannot be overestimated—it was thanks to him that Central Europe abandoned medieval practices and entered the Age of Enlightenment. For modern solo travelers interested in city life and the history of science, van Swieten's traces in Vienna offer a fascinating trail of discovery of how one city became the arena of a battle between darkness and the light of reason.

Schönbrunn Palace, the monumental summer residence of the Habsburgs located at Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47 in the Hietzing district, is not only one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture in Europe, but also a place inextricably linked to Gerard van Swieten. It was here, in this palace with yellow facades and 1,441 rooms, surrounded by a 160-hectare garden, that van Swieten spent the last moments of his life. He died on June 18, 1772, in Schönbrunn, in the heart of the court he had served for almost three decades. For solo travelers planning city breaks to Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace is not only a top-class tourist attraction, but also a tangible link to the history of an extraordinary man who changed the face of Austrian medicine and science.

Schönbrunn Palace was more than just a summer residence—it was the center of power, the place where Maria Theresa made the most important decisions concerning the empire. Van Swieten, as the empress's personal physician and her closest advisor on public health, education, and the fight against superstition, was a regular guest at the palace. It was here, in the empress's private apartments, that medical reforms, the establishment of new clinics, and sanitary programs for the entire state were discussed. It was here that van Swieten presented his reports from Moravia and Croatia, convincing Maria Theresa to issue edicts banning barbaric practices. The palace witnessed the birth of modern Austria, and van Swieten was one of the main architects of this transformation.

Today, Schönbrunn Palace, open to visitors all year round, offers a glimpse into the world in which van Swieten lived and worked. A tour of the palace is a journey back in time to the 18th century, to the Age of Enlightenment, when reason and science began to supplant superstition and ignorance. The imperial apartments, the Great Gallery, where balls and receptions were held, the Chinese Salons with their exotic décor—all these spaces breathe history. Although van Swieten was not a member of the imperial family, he had access to these rooms as a trusted advisor and friend of Maria Theresa. His influence at court was enormous, not only in medical matters but also in cultural ones. Between 1745 and 1756, he managed the imperial court library before it was moved to the University of Vienna, ensuring that the latest scientific and philosophical works were collected.

The gardens of Schönbrunn, stretching behind the palace in geometric patterns typical of the Baroque, are also linked to van Swieten's activities. His Hortus Medicus, a botanical garden established for research and teaching purposes, was inspired by similar garden designs. Van Swieten understood the importance of medicinal plants and the need for their systematic study. A stroll through the gardens of Schönbrunn, with their fountains, sculptures, and carefully trimmed hedges, allows one to imagine how van Swieten might have strolled here with the empress, discussing plans for reform and the future of the monarchy. For solo travelers interested in a city break in Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace offers the perfect combination of history, architecture, and space for contemplation.

In 1770, two years before his death, van Swieten presented Maria Theresa with the 'Generale Normativum in Re Sanitatis' project - a comprehensive sanitary reform for the entire Habsburg monarchy. This document, which the empress accepted and implemented, was the crowning achievement of van Swieten's life's work. It established standards of public hygiene, regulated medical practices, and created a system of public health supervision. It was the work of a visionary who understood that true care for his subjects required systemic solutions, not just ad hoc interventions. Today, when visiting Schönbrunn Palace, it is worth remembering that it was here, in these halls and offices, that ideas were born that changed the lives of millions of people.

In Vienna itself, not far from Schönbrunn Palace, stands a monumental statue of Maria Theresa, surrounded by the generals and advisors who contributed to the splendor of her reign. Among them, as a baron elevated to the nobility by the grateful empress, is Gerard van Swieten. This monument is a tribute to a man who fought not on the battlefields, but in laboratories, clinics, and Moravian cemeteries, where he debunked myths about vampires. For modern travelers planning a solo trip to Vienna, the van Swieten trail—from Schönbrunn Palace to the university to the Maria Theresa monument—offers a fascinating alternative to typical city attractions, providing a deeper understanding of how science and reason can change the world.