Public presentation and discussion

Bernhard Nocht as the namesake of the Hamburg Tropical Institute?

A historical and commemorative reassessment

Bernhard Nocht is a central figure in German tropical medicine, a founding professor of the University of Hamburg, and a key driver of modern medicine in the city. Yet, his role and political stance during the eras of colonialism and National Socialism invite critical examination. How did Nocht navigate his responsibilities as a physician and science manager during these periods? How should his legacy be assessed from today’s perspective? And what impact does this historical reflection have on the identity, self-image, and responsibilities of an internationally oriented research institute in the 21st century?

To enable a nuanced discussion and evaluation of these questions based on historical sources, the BNITM commissioned the Hamburg Research Centre for Contemporary History to produce an expert opinion on its first director. Simultaneously, the Research Centre for Hamburg’s (Post-)Colonial Legacy has published a comprehensive biography of Bernhard Nocht with Wallstein Verlag. In this work, the author provides the first in-depth analysis of a wide range of historical sources, examining them within their broader context.

Together with the authors, we would like to present the results of the report and the biography and discuss them in an open dialogue.

Participants

• Prof. Dr. Jürgen May, Chairman of the Board at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)
• Prof. Dr. Thomas Großbölting, Research Centre for Contemporary History in Hamburg (author of the report)
• Prof. Dr. Jürgen Zimmerer, Research Centre for Hamburg's (Post)Colonial Legacy at the University of Hamburg
• Dr. Markus Hedrich, University of Hamburg (Author of the Biography)
• Moderation Thembi Wolf

The event will take place on:

Wednesday, 22 January 2025, 6:00-7:30 pm

Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM), historic lecture hall

Bernhard-Nocht-Straße 74, 20359 Hamburg.

Related links

Thomas Großbölting: „Bernhard Nocht als Namensgeber des Instituts für Tropenmedizin?“ Gutachten zur Haltung des Tropenmediziners zum Rassismus und zum Nationalsozialismus. Hamburg 2024.

Markus Hedrich: „Bernhard Nocht. Der Organisator der deutschen Kolonialmedizin. Eine Biografie.“ Mit einem Vorwort von Jürgen Zimmerer. Hamburger Beiträge zur Geschichte der kolonialen Globalisierung; Bd. 3. Wallstein-Verlag, Göttingen, 2025.

Inquiries to Wallstein Verlag (sample copies, press inquiries to the a author): Wallstein Verlag GmbH. Tel.: +49 (0)551 / 548 98-0; info@wallstein-verlag.de

About the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)

The Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) is Germany's largest institution dedicated to research, healthcare, and education in tropical and emerging infectious diseases. Its research priorities have always been approached through the lens of Global Health and the One Health concept, as well as translation – the transfer of basic research into practical application. This approach is reflected in the institute’s five sections: Pathogen (microorganisms) → Interface (immunology, host/pathogen interactions) → Patient (clinical studies) → Population (epidemiology) → Implementation (knowledge transfer into practice).

Current areas of focus include malaria, haemorrhagic fever viruses, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), immunology, epidemiology, clinical aspects of tropical infections, and the mechanisms of virus transmission by mosquitoes. The institute is equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories for handling highly pathogenic viruses, including a maximum containment laboratory (BSL4) and a high-security insectarium (BSL3). BNITM also deploys mobile laboratories worldwide to combat outbreaks of highly pathogenic or infectious viruses.

The BNITM serves as the National Reference Centre for the detection of all tropical pathogens, a WHO Collaborating Centre for Arboviruses and Haemorrhagic Fever Viruses, a WHO Collaborating Centre for Behavioural Research to Advance Global Health, and is a member of the Leibniz Association.

In partnership with Ghana's Ministry of Health and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, BNITM operates a modern research and training centre in the West African rainforest, which is also open to external research groups (the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, KCCR). In addition, the institute maintains numerous collaborations, including partnerships in other African countries such as Gabon (CERMEL), Nigeria (ISTH), Tanzania (East African Community, EAC), and Madagascar (University of Antananarivo).