Anatomy Unbound

The vernissage took place on 17 April, 2023 at 6 pm in the Old Anatomy on the Österberg. Political scientist, historian and journalist Götz Aly spoke on the topic of ‘The NS terror regime as windfall for research. Merit, fame, and honour of the anatomists H. Voss, J. Hallervorden and H. Stieve’ (Die NS-Gewaltherrschaft als Glücksfall für die Forschung. Verdienste, Ruhm und Ehre der Anatomen H. Voss, J. Hallervorden & H. Stieve).

The exhibition

Under National Socialism, anatomy crossed the traditional boundaries of scientific work. Anatomists now had no hesitation using the bodies of executed Nazi victims and other marginalised members of the 'national community' for research as well as teaching. Tübingen medicine also benefited from the radicalisation of Nazi justice and persecution policies, which increasingly affected people from Eastern Europe. While scientists had previously only been able to dissect a small number of deceased homeless people, executed prisoners, and stillborn babies, with the beginning of the war the problem of obtaining human bodies finally became a thing of the past. The exhibition 'Anatomy unbound. A Tübingen science and National Socialism' uses objects, documents and interviews to explore the history of a medical discipline before, during and after the Nazi tyranny: How did anatomy work before 1933? Who were the people whose corpses ended up in the Tübingen anatomy department during the unjust state? When did the critical examination of the transgressions of one's own discipline begin? What continuities and disruptures did emerge in the 20th century? The exhibition presents its answers at the historical site of the events - in the Old Anatomy building.