The Institute for the History, Theory and Ethics of Medicine at Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) is honoring the renowned medical historian Prof. Dr. Volker Roelcke with a farewell symposium to mark his upcoming retirement. Under the title “Medicine, Politics and Responsibility: On the Possibilities of a History of the Present”, international colleagues and companions will gather at the JLU Medical Teaching Center on Saturday, June 21, 2025, starting at 10 am. The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Lohmeyer, will open the event with a welcoming address.

Roelcke has had a significant influence on the history of medicine, particularly through his research on medicine under National Socialism, the history of psychiatry and the ethics of medical research on humans. As founding chairman of the Lancet Commission on Medicine and National Socialism, he set international standards for coming to terms with the involvement of medicine in the Nazi era. His membership of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina underlines his outstanding scientific reputation.

The symposium will bring together leading experts in the history of medicine to pay tribute to Roelcke’s work and discuss current topics. The announced speakers include Walter Bruchhausen (Bonn), Herwig Czech (Vienna), Christoph Gradmann (Oslo), Simon Duckheim (Giessen), Hans-Georg Hofer (Münster), Joachim Jacob (Giessen), Anthony Kauders (Keele), Michael Knipper (Giessen), Katharina Kreuder-Sonnen (Cologne), Etienne Lepicard (Jerusalem), Maike Rotzoll (Marburg), Thomas Schlich (Montreal), Heinz Schott (Bonn), Sascha Topp (Berlin) and Amir Teicher (Tel Aviv). The contributions will deal with topics such as the responsibility of medicine in political contexts, ethical challenges in research and the relevance of historical analyses for today’s debates.

Roelcke’s work has not only enriched the scientific community, but has also promoted public debate on the history of medicine. His research on Nazi medicine has helped to critically question the responsibility of the medical profession and to draw lessons for the present. He has also set standards for responsible science through his work on psychiatry and the ethics of human research.

Date

Saturday, June 21, 2025, 10 am to 4:30 pm, JLU Medical Teaching Center, Klinikstraße 29, Lecture Hall 2.

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