Jozef Dietl was a Austrian-Polish physician born to an Austrian father and Polish mother. He studied medicine in Lviv and Vienna. He was a pioneer in balneology, and a professor of Jagiellonian University, elected as its rector in 1861. Dietl described the kidney ailment known as "Dietl’s Crisis" as well as its treatment.

From 1866 to 1874 Józef Dietl was mayor of the city of Krakow.