[The prosector and his position in the hierarchy of anatomical institutions as shown especially in anatomical departments in Berlin, Halle, Leipzig, Rostock and Greifswald].

In the course of history of anatomy the prosector (dissector, incisor, secant, sculptor, procurator) held total different positions: at first he acted as a manual craftsman (barber surgeon) and as teacher's assistant lacking any academic education (organized in fraternities or guilds). In the epoch of Vesalius he became an anatomist who was dissecting and demonstrating as well as teaching. The statements are explained by examples from the universities in Bologna, Paris, Padua, Vienna, Leipzig, Greifswald, Basle and Strasbourg. Further, a short history of the prosector and his position in anatomical institutions is shown for 5 German anatomical departments and universities respectively, which are situated at the territory of the today's GDR. Variations in the evolution are caused by the different social-economic structure of the then sovereign German countries (Prussia, Saxonia, Mecklenbourg and Pomerania). Since the ending of 19th century there were called 1st and 2nd prosectors as a result of the differentiation of medical science and of the partition of anatomy into macroscopic and microscopic-embryologic subfields. From the middle of the 20th century the position of the prosector were abolished. Nearly all prosectors later became extraordinary and ordinary professors of anatomy as well as directors of some institutes. In general, the prosectors have formed the history of anatomy quite essentially.