 Flügge was a colleague of microbiologist Robert Koch, with whom he co-edited the journal "Zeitschrift für Hygiene und Infektionskrankheiten".Two of his better-known assistants at Breslau were Wolfgang Weichardt (1875–1943) and Walther Kruse (1864–1943).Flügge is known for advocating hygiene as an independent medical discipline, and is remembered for performing extensive research involving the transmission of infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis and cholera.