History of Medicine Department
The History of Medicine Department is part of the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and History of Medicine within the University of Zurich (UZH). It is an interdisciplinary chair and the team participates in research and teaching in the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Philosophy. Prof. Dr. phil. Flurin Condrau is the chairman of the History of Medicine Department.
The researchers of the History of Medicine Department are also members of the Center « History of Knowledge » (Center of Excellence of UZH and ETH Zürich) and participate in the AG Medical Humanities.
The Department of History of Medicine stems from the History of Medicine Institute, founded in 1951. From 1957 to 1971, the German-American medical historian, physician and ethnologist Erwin H. Ackerknecht (1906-1988) was the Chairman of the Institute. Ackerknecht made the Zurich Institute internationally known.
News
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Historicizing Farm Animals: Keynote Lecture by Hannah Landecker on 11th of June
The SNSF funded project Farm Animals in the Anthropocene at the Chair for the History of Medicine invites to the public Keynote Lecture Eat, Grow, Oxidize, Phosphorylate. Antioxidants and Enzymes in the Remaking of Animal Metabolism in the 20th Century by Hannah Landecker, UCLA.
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Lola Wilhelm's new publication: 'Tchernobâle' Reappraised. Technological Risk in Europe's Post-Stockholm Environmental Politics
Lola Wilhelm, Postdoc at the Chair for the History of Medicine, has recently published the chapter "'Tchernobâle' Reappraised. Technological Risk in Europe's Post-Stockholm Environmental Politics" in the book "Environmental Regulation and the History of Capitalism". Find the link to the open access publication here.
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Call for Papers - "History of Medicine in Times of Crisis"
From pandemics to environmental crisis, the 2020s have underscored the complex, often unequal impact of global health emergencies. The SGGMN Annual Conference 2025 invites scholars to explore how past health crises inform today’s urgent challenges. We seek contributions examining historical responses to crises, from authoritarian health systems and anti-vaccination movements to grassroots resilience. Join us in Zurich on 24th of October 2025 to rethink the role of medical history in times of upheaval. Abstracts (max. 250 words) and a short CV are due by 13th of June 2025.
Dr. Lola Wilhelm (lola.wilhelm@uzh.ch). -
Beat Bächi an Vortragsreihe zu One Health in Greifswald
Dr. Beat Bächi, Postdoc und Projektleiter des SNF-Projekts Nutztiere im Anthropozän, gibt am Dienstagabend, dem 20. Mai 2025, einen Vortrag in Greifswald. Im Rahmen der Ringvorlesung des Historischen Instituts an der Universität Geifswald spricht Bächi zu "Stress im Schweinestall. Zur Verschrankung von Leistung und Gesundheit(en), 1950-2000".
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Research Colloquium, Spring 2025, History of Medicine, Science & Anthropocene
The Chairs for the History of the Anthropocene and for the History of Medicine and the SNSF-PRIMA Professorship, Rice Knowledge and Practices, announce the Spring 2025 programme of the History of Medicine, Science, and the Anthropocene Research Colloquium.
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Beat Bächi schreibt im Schweizer Bauer "Was Schweine über uns erzählen"
Beat Bächi, Postdoc und Projektleiter des SNF-Projekts
Nutztiere im Anthropozän, schreibt in der Zeitung Schweizer Bauer über die Veränderung der Schweinekörper im 20. Jahrhundert – und welche Geschichte sich an ihnen nachvollziehen lässt. -
Martina Sochin-D’Elia's talk at ISCH conference in Potsdam
The annual Conference of the International Society for Cultural History (ISCH) took place in Potsdam, 4.-6. September 2024, under the subject of “Embodied Histories”. Martina Sochin-D’Elia contributed with her talk about “Rituals, practices and beliefs surrounding the dead child’s body”.
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Infoveranstaltung "Recherche im Archiv" für BA-Studierende am 28. Oktober
Das Archiv für Medizingeschichte offeriert ein kostenloses Lehrangebot zur Archivrecherche und zum Umgang mit Quellen im Archiv. Es richtet sich an Bachelorstudierende als Ergänzung zum Basismodul I am historischen Seminar und findet am 28. Oktober 2024 statt. Weitere Infos und Anmeldung
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History of Medicine, Science and the Anthropocene Research Colloquium
We are delighted to share the fall program for our History of Medicine, Science & the Anthropocene Research Colloquium, jointly organized with the Chair for the History of the Anthropocene and the SNSF-PRIMA Professorship: Rice Knowledge and Practices.
The sessions will take place on Wednesday, 14:00-15:45, Room KOL-G-222, Karl Schmid-Strasse 4. Please note that there will be an extraordinary lecture in collaboration with the interuniversity doctoral program in Gender Studies on Tuesday, October 29th, 16:15-17:45, Room KOL-F-104.
To receive a copy of the paper or join our mailing list, please email sara.mueller@uzh.ch.
We look forward to hopefully seeing you there.
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Neuauflage von "LSD auf dem Land" von Beat Bächi bei Konstanz University Press
Soeben erschien die Neuauflage von "LSD auf dem Land. Produktion und kollektive Wirkung psychotroper Stoffe" von Beat Bächi. Weiteres über das Buch ist ausserdem im Podcast von provisorischlegal zu erfahren.
