Chronological History of Origin
 

1992

The 6th Committee for Restructuring of the Charité appointed by the Senator für Wissenschaft und Forschung of Berlin and chaired by Professor Dr. Kurt Kochsiek (Würzburg) has the task - under consideration of the financial possibilities, the existing institution of the Freie Universität Berlin (i.e. Klinikum Steglitz und Universitätskrankenhaus Rudolf Virchow) and other supply offers in Berlin - to determine the structures and capacities of the medical institutions of the Charité with regard to teaching, research and health care. 

The 6th Committee suggests to found a “Center for Primary Medical Care and Health System Research” at the Charité. The aim is to strengthen general medical education, further medical education as well as psychological and social competence, the knowledge about prevailing conditions of the health care system and pharmacotherapy. An interdisciplinary approach, openness and firm knowledge additional to the own subject are required. 

The participating subjects are health system research, general medicine, medical psychology, medical sociology, medical ethics, clinical pharmacology, epidemiology, informatics, medical and nursing education, nursing sciences as well as sexual sciences.

Parallel to the considerations to focus on humanities and health sciences at the Berlin University Medicine, the Bundesministerium für Forschung und Technologie promotes the establishment of Public Health at the Universities of Berlin. In cooperation with the Humboldt-Universität and the Freie Universität, the Technische Universität Berlin offers in 1992 a postgraduate study course for health sciences and public health. This is parallel to the foundation of the Research Committee Public Health - today the Berlin Center for Public Health. Besides the three Universities of Berlin, also renown research organizations not belonging to universities take part in the Berlin Centre for Public Health.
 

1993

The expert committee, appointed by the Senate of Berlin for the restructuring of the Berlin University Medicine demands two centers. These two centers should be complementary to each other, on the one hand human sciences and on the other hand health sciences. 

At the 99th meeting of the Senate of Berlin, on March 16, 1993, the decision is made for locating the new center at the Charité. The intention is a joint institution for both human and health sciences. 

The Vice President for Medicine at the Freie Universität Berlin, Professor Dr. Peter Gaehtgens also suggests that the Center for Humanities and Health Sciences - intended as a common institution of Humboldt-Universität and Freie Universität - should be completed by establishing a “Human Science Lecture Course in Medicine” as a complement to the current program. 

Professors Hans Peter Rosemeier, Alexander Schuller and Rolf Winau of the Freie Universität present their ideas to institutionalize humanities and health sciences and emphasis the necessity for the independence and the location in the center of Berlin.

On insistence of the Senatsverwaltung für Wissenschaft und Forschung, it is determined in a discussion dated the July 27, 1993, that there would be established only one center instead of two with 18 professor positions located in Berlin Mitte.

It is also decided that the inter-university center should not be a clinical institution. For further planning the Charité Poli Clinics should be excluded. The Center should have a limited autonomy. The participation of the Medical Faculties and specialists should be institutionally protected. 
 

1995

Starting from the assumption that medicine is not only natural science but also humanities and social sciences and under consideration of the necessity to combine the resources of the Berlin Medical Faculties there is a legal regulation for the foundation of a “Joint Central Institute for Human and Health Sciences” (law concern reorganization of university medicine in Berlin, university medical law-UniMedG, January 3, 1995):

§ 10 Joint Central Institute
 

1. Freie Universität and Humboldt-Universität establish a joint central institute for humanities and health sciences. The central institute is responsible for ongoing tasks in research, education and further education. It is assigned to the Humboldt-Universität and is listed separately in the common economic plan of the medical faculty.

2. In the central institute professors of both medical faculties cooperate in the field represented in the central institute. Positions and salaries for the central institute are within the budget of the Humboldt-Universität.

3. In concern to the overall organization and internal structure of the central institute, the academic senates of both universities decide through unanimous statutes. They are not bound by the rules of § 83 paragraph 1 sentence 2 of the university law of Berlin. The statutes provide the rules concerning the institutional cooperation of the institute for health sciences with the faculty of architecture of the Technische Universität Berlin. 

4. Temporary theme- or project-bound centers can be founded in the framework to focus on research and teaching. In these centers, professors of both universities respectively of both medical faculties cooperate in the field corresponding to the main focus. The centers are assigned balanced to the university clinics in accordance with the decision of the joint committees § 3 paragraph 3 and are commonly administered. The positions and salaries for the respective centers are listed separately in the budget of the responsible university. 

1996

The joint committee decides the establishment of a inter-university central institute in accordance with of § 10 UniMedG with the title Center for Humanities and Health Sciences. The center is a joint institution of the medical faculties of the Freie Universität and the Humboldt-Universität and is assigned to the Humboldt-Universität.

The joint commission proposed to name a founding director - originating from the circle of the professors of the future centers - through the Senator für Wissenschaft und Forschung on suggestion of the deans of the participating faculties.

Independent from the existing central libraries, a separate center library should be built.
 

1997

Professor Dr. Dr. Rolf Winau is appointed to the founding director of the Center for Humanities and Health Sciences
 

2000

The statutes which are declared by the Academic Senates of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and the Freie Universität Berlin defined the task and structure of the center as well as the organs and its authorities. Altogether, there are 11 subjects in the center originating/coming from both universities: Medical Psychology, History of Medicine, Sexual Science and Sexual Medicine, Medical Sociology, Medical Anthropology, Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Occupational Medicine, Medical and Nursing Education and Nursing Sciences, Health System Research as well as Medical Ethics. The center is responsible for research, education, and further training in the above mentioned subjects and offers in this training the study of human medicine and dentistry for both universities. In addition, the center is responsible for the study course “Medical and Nursing Education”.

The professors of the subjects belong to the center but they remain also members of the respective university, regardless to their teaching obligations at the center. These professors still have their academic rights and duties in their faculty at their respective university. Academic and other employees are administered at the Charité. 

The center starts the 1st July 2000 in the new structure. 
 

2001

On February 24, 2001, both university presidents signed an agreement - in addition to the statute - on a Joint Institute for Humanities and Health Sciences:
The foundation of a joint central institute with the title “Center for Humanities and Health Sciences of the Berlin University Medicine” as a common institution of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin has the purpose to achieve far reaching synergy effects by the unification of the respected and efficient institutes. The aim is to be a model with a national exemplary structure, higher efficiency and international excellence in research and education. Above all, the formation of the central institute should support the interdisciplinary research in theoretical and basic subjects, the center should also offer a coordinated teaching for the students of humanities and dentistry of both universities and it should also enable a coordinated further training in the affected fields.

On April 23, 2001, the council of the Center for Humanities and Health Sciences (ZHGB) convened after the first election on February 13-14, 2001. Altogether seven professors belong to the council, five from the center as well as both deans of the Charité and the Faculty of Medicine of the Freie Universität and respectively two academic employees, other employees, and students.

Prof. Dr. Dr. Rolf Winau (Institute for the History of Medicine) is elected as the executive director, the elected vice director is Prof. Dr. Stefan N. Willich (Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics). This also reflects the equal memberships of the center’s council representing members of both universities.

On September 17, 2001, at a meeting with a thorough discussion, the council decides that the structure should be realized as soon as possible in 2001. The structure 2006 is a suggestion with the need of further intensive consultation in respect of naming of the subjects and in the merging of subjects in departments. The structure 2006 should be concluded until December 31, 2002 after detailed discussions in the institutes. 

Structure 2001:
 

Institute for the History of Medicine

Institute for the Education of Nurse and Paramedic Teachers and Nursing Science

Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics

Institute for International Health Sciences

Institute for Occupational Medicine

Institute for Medical Psychology

Institute for Medical Sociology

Institute for Sexual Science and Sexual Medicine

Institute for Medical Anthropology 

Institute for Health Systems Research (foundation planned for 2002)

Institute for Medical Ethics (foundation planned for 2002)

1. Department of Human Sciences

Institute for Medical History

Institute for Medical Ethics

Institute for Medical Anthropology

Institute for Social Medicine and International Health

Institute for Occupational Medicine

Institute for Health Systems Research

Institute for Medical Psychology

Institute for Medical Sociology

Institute for Sexual Science and Sexual Medicine

Institute for the Education of Nurse and Paramedic Teachers and Nursing Science

The ceremony for the opening of the Center takes place on November 21, 2001.