Famed Pathologist Dr. Rudolph Virchow’s Collection of Medical Specimens May Soon Be Closed to the Public
Historically significant collection of pathology and anatomic specimens may fall victim to budget cuts and space constraints
Pathologists across the globe will be interested to learn that the pathological-anatomical collection of the famous Doctor Rudolph Virchow, housed for almost 100 years in Berlin, may soon be closed to public viewing. Administrators at Berlin’s Charité Hospital are threatening to shut down what is often recognized as the world’s first pathology museum.
Virchow’s collection is currently on view at the Berlin Medical Historical Museum (BMHM), which is managed by Charité Hospital. It was reported by Der Spiegel, one of Germany’s widely-read news magazines, that Charité’s administrators are looking at “options for such ‘future development’ [that] include ‘shutting down the museum’ and ‘moving the collections to other museums.’”
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