A short, efficient and stereoselective synthesis of enantiomerically pure (2R, 3S, 4R) 3,4-dihydroxy-2-hydroxymethylpyrrolidine, a galactosidase inhibitor, from 4-hydroxy-L-proline is presented. The key steps are the regio- and stereoselective hydroxylation of a 4-oxoproline enolate and the stereoselective reduction of the resulting ketoalcohol. An N-(9-phenylfluoren-9-yl) moiety is used not only as an N-protecting group but as a regio- and stereochemical control element as well.