Medizinhistorisches Museum Hamburg

Description

The Medizinhistorische Museum Hamburg is located in the Fritz‑Schumacher‑Haus of the Universitätsklinikum Hamburg‑Eppendorf; it was founded in October 2007 and opened in June 2010. Its sponsor is the Institut für Geschichte und Ethik der Medizin at the Universitätsklinikum Hamburg‑Eppendorf. The museum is based at Martinistraße 52, Building N 30.

In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum regularly presents special exhibitions and organizes conferences, lecture series, workshops and readings. One of its central tasks is not only collecting and exhibiting, but also conducting scholarly research.

The permanent exhibition is titled „Die Entstehung der modernen Medizin“ and spans the history of medicine from the 19th to the 21st century. Topics on display include nursing, pathology, dental technology, infectious diseases — with a focus on the course of the COVID‑19 pandemic — the history of the pharmaceutical industry, and the development of microscopy and X‑ray technology. Since November 2017 the learning and memorial site „Medizinverbrechen im Nationalsozialismus“ has been part of the permanent exhibition and commemorates Hamburg victims of Nazi euthanasia, forced sterilizations and human experiments. Another room has been devoted since June 2019 to the history of medical teaching and training under the title „Ärztin/Arzt werden“. As a standout object, the museum presents the restored dissection hall of the Pathological Institute from 1926, featuring eight stone dissection tables in a light‑filled room.

The collections comprise extensive documentary holdings as well as scientific object collections. At the center of the documentary holdings are materials on the history of the Eppendorfer Krankenhaus and a historical photo collection; additionally, the holdings include material from various other areas of medical history. The object collections consist of several sub‑collections, among them an important moulage collection, holdings from the Hals‑Nasen‑Ohren‑Klinik, dental prosthetics, neuropathology and medical technology. The moulage collection comprises about 600 exhibits of different production dates and provenances, including wax representations of disease stages and syphilis symptoms; a selection is on display.

As a research museum, the Medizinhistorische Museum Hamburg works closely with the Institut für Geschichte und Ethik der Medizin on academic topics and projects.