Heidelberg University Hospital

Introduction to Heidelberg University Hospital

Heidelberg University Hospital is located in Heidelberg, Germany, and is one of Germany’s most renowned large-scale medical centers. Each year, it provides treatment for approximately 80,000 inpatients and more than 1 million outpatients.

Heidelberg Medicine has a history of more than 600 years and has been associated with nine Nobel Prize laureates in Physiology or Medicine, including one doctoral graduate, one honorary doctor, and seven scientists from Heidelberg research institutes. In addition, many leading figures in the medical field have been actively involved in Heidelberg’s academic and clinical development.

Albrecht Kossel served as a professor at Heidelberg University from 1901 to 1923. In 1910, he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his outstanding research on proteins and nucleic acids.

Otto Meyerhof received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1922 for discovering an important energy cycle in biological reaction chains. He served as a professor at Heidelberg University from 1949 to 1951.

Bert Sakmann became a professor at Heidelberg University in 1990. In 1991, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Erwin Neher for developing a method that enabled the study of ion channel function in individual cells.

Harald zur Hausen became an honorary professor at the Heidelberg University Faculty of Medicine in 1988. In 2008, he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on the relationship between human papillomavirus infection and cervical cancer.

Viktor von Weizsäcker and Alexander Mitscherlich laid a solid foundation for psychosomatic medicine, a branch of medicine that considers psychological and physical factors to be equally important.

Vincenz Czerny and Karl Heinrich Bauer led the establishment of internationally renowned cancer clinics and research institutions. Today, hundreds of scientists in the laboratories of these clinics and research institutions work together toward a shared goal: developing new forms of treatment and rapidly applying them to the care of cancer patients.

A Globally Leading Comprehensive Hospital

Heidelberg University Hospital is a large comprehensive medical center. It has unique strengths in cancer treatment, proton therapy, and heavy ion therapy, while also demonstrating strong overall clinical capabilities. It is one of the world’s leading hospitals capable of providing comprehensive, high-quality medical care for patients with serious diseases.

In Newsweek’s 2020 ranking of the World’s Best Hospitals, Heidelberg University Hospital ranked No. 14 worldwide. It was one of only two German hospitals among the top 20, representing the highest level of comprehensive medical strength among German hospitals.

A Pioneer in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

The National Center for Tumor Diseases Heidelberg, also known as NCT Heidelberg, is a national pioneer in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Since 2010, patients have been able to receive interdisciplinary treatment on the same campus, with senior specialists from different departments jointly providing care for cancer patients.

The hospital maintains close cooperation with the German Cancer Research Center, ensuring that new treatment approaches can be developed and rapidly translated into medical practice.

In November 2009, the Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center, also known as HIT, began operating under the guidance of the hospital’s Department of Radiation Oncology and Radiotherapy. It pioneered proton and heavy ion therapy in Europe.

Pediatric cancer patients, as well as adult patients with selected tumors such as prostate cancer, lung tumors, and liver tumors, may receive effective treatment at this center.

Two treatment rooms and one research room began operation in 2009. A third treatment room, equipped with the world’s first carbon ion rotating gantry, became operational in 2012. This technology allows ion beams to rotate around the patient and irradiate the body from any angle across 360 degrees, enabling more optimal delivery to the tumor.

A Leading Neurosurgery Center in Europe

The Department of Oncological Neurosurgery at Heidelberg University Hospital is one of Europe’s leading neurosurgical centers. It performs more than 3,200 surgeries each year, including approximately 700 brain tumor surgeries.

The department has 74 beds, including 14 beds for critically ill patients. Its oncological neurosurgery team includes surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists, and interpreters, and it receives many international patients from around the world each year.