What did coping with illness look like in the past? How did patients communicate with doctors? Answers to these and other questions can be found in the historical documents housed at the Institute for the History of Medicine (IGM). Established in 1980, the IGM is a unique facility as part of the Research pillar of the Bosch Health Campus (BHC). The IGM was created thanks to Robert Bosch’s great interest in the history of health care in general and homeopathy in particular. Since 2020, it has has also served as the main archive of all institutions linked to the Robert Bosch Stiftung. It is tasked with preserving and maintaining the legacy of Robert Bosch in all its aspects and with all its facilities.
The IGM complements the medical-clinical research of the Bosch Health Campus with humanities approaches and medical-historical research, which can be carried out through the use of the library and archive. Questions raised by the modern healthcare system can often be better answered by looking back at its origins and development. In the subject areas, there is close cooperation with the Robert Bosch Center for Integrative Medicine and Health (RBIM).
The IGM has a particular focus on the history of homeopathy, complementary healing methods and pluralism in medicine. In addition to the estate of Samuel Hahnemann, the homeopathy archive also contains the records of national and international homeopathic organizations. Against the background of the social history of medicine, the focus is on patient history. From the perspective of those affected, the development of medicine can be better understood and reflected upon with recourse to historical documents. Taking the role of patients and their own history seriously is an important message that can be used to the benefit of those undergoing treatment. The Robert Bosch Stiftung has also been committed to the academization of nursing for decades. For this reason, the IGM has developed a further focus in the area of nursing history and the history of healthcare professions. The findings from this in turn flow into nursing training at the Bosch Health Campus. With these areas of work, the IGM is making its mark in the history of medicine throughout Germany.