Ceremony marking the anniversary of Germany's first independent medical university, attended by prominent guests
‘Sixty years after its founding, MHH is one of the best hospitals in the world,’ said Ursula von der Leyen. Copyright: Karin Kaiser/MHH
MHH choir and MHH symphony orchestra provided musical accompaniment for the ceremony. Copyright: Karin Kaiser/MHH
The first class still attended lectures in the lecture halls of the Veterinary University. The academic ceremony marking the 60th anniversary took place in the largest lecture hall at MHH. Copyright: MHH Archive
On 17 May 2025, Hannover Medical School (MHH) celebrated its 60th anniversary. MHH President Professor Denise Hilfiker-Kleiner welcomed guests of honour including European Commission President Dr Ursula von der Leyen and Minister President Stephan Weil to the ceremony.
In her keynote speech, Dr von der Leyen emphasised that it was a great pleasure and honour for her to speak at her alma mater. ‘Sixty years after its founding, MHH is one of the best clinics in the world,’ she said, recounting her medical studies: "Here, just a few steps away, in the neighbouring building in Lecture Hall A, I attended my first lecture in anatomy. With Professor Herbert Lippert. Here, in this lecture hall F, I experienced Professor Rudolph Pichlmayr, who showed us a cirrhotic liver at 8 o'clock in the morning, which he had removed just four hours earlier during a transplant. He had been operating all night. But he insisted on giving his lecture in the morning. What a magnificent role model! And his wife, Ina Pichlmayr: five children and a full professorship in anaesthesiology at MHH. She encouraged us young women back then!"
MHH motto as a reminder, mission and opportunity
‘You can be proud of MHH motto, which is particularly relevant today: Unitas in necessariis, libertas in dubiis, caritas in omnibus – unity in what is necessary, freedom in cases of doubt, charity in all things,’ the EU Commission President continued. She called for the freedom to doubt in science to be protected with all possible means. At the end of her brilliant speech, she promised: ‘In my office today, I will do everything I can to ensure that others can also learn, teach and conduct research under the best conditions. Here in Hanover, in Europe and, hopefully, everywhere in the world.’
►You can read Ursula von der Leyen's complete speech here.
For Stephan Weil, the welcoming address at MHH ceremony was one of his last public appearances in office. He recalled that the university had been an important and almost daily advisor to politicians during the coronavirus pandemic. As Minister President, he had visited many high-profile research institutions, Weil said. He was pleased that cooperation had improved significantly over the past ten years and cited the research triangle of Göttingen, Hanover and Braunschweig as a good example.
Looking ahead and back to the beginnings of the MHH
Professor Moritz Schmelzle, Director of the Clinic for General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Professor Thomas Thum, Director of the Institute for Molecular and Translational Therapy Strategies, and Dr Peter Raab, Head of Oncological Neuroradiology, looked ahead in three short specialist presentations on ‘Teaching and Digitalisation’, ‘Research and Translation’ and ‘Healthcare and Artificial Intelligence’.
Two students from the first year looked back on the history of MHH: Professor Reinhard Pabst, former Rector of MHH and long-time Head of Anatomy, and Professor Gerhard Walter Sybrecht recounted how studies at MHH began in the summer semester of 1965 with twelve teachers and 41 students. The first lecture was held in the lecture hall of the Rinderklinik (Cattle Clinic) at the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover. Both paid tribute to the first elected rector of MHH, Professor Fritz Hartmann, as a proven visionary and pioneer who conceived and planned MHH from the patient's perspective and involved the students from the very beginning.
►More about the history of MHH can be found here.
Awarding of honorary citizenship of MHH
At the end of the ceremony, Professor Siegfried Piepenbrock received the award of honorary citizenship of MHH. In his laudatory speech, Professor Ingo Just emphasised that Piepenbrock had worked for decades in many different ways to promote networking between students, alumni, teachers, researchers and external sponsors, thereby rendering outstanding services to the university. As former director of the Clinic for Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (1996-2009), Professor Piepenbrock ran for the board of MHH-Alumni e.V. while he was still active as clinic director and was elected chairman in 2006. This month, he is stepping down as chairman of the board – an ideal time to pay tribute to his commitment, vision and achievements in a fitting manner, according to Professor Just.
Poster session with award ceremony
After the ceremony, guests proceeded to MHH annual reception via a poster session. Clinicians and researchers from MHH, as well as young researchers in MHH's voluntary scientific year, presented their current research projects on posters. Three posters were awarded prizes. The following are delighted to receive a prize of 200 euros: FWJler Marvin Lemke, who has been conducting research on stem cells at the Clinic for Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Infectiology and Endocrinology, Dr Anna Christina Dragon from MHH Institute for Transfusion Medicine, who is working on a new immunotherapy for lung cancer, and Dr Jeannine von der Born, a paediatric cardiologist at MHH Children's Hospital, who is conducting research on the hearts of transplant patients in the interdisciplinary working group on transplantation medicine.
Historical review
The MHH was founded on 17 May 1965 as the first independent medical university in Germany: the concept of an integrated model with closely interwoven research, teaching and patient care was a milestone on the path to modern medicine. To this day, the MHH remains unique as a purely medical university, one of the most innovative medical universities and one of the most successful university hospitals.
►You can view the recording of the ceremony here.
►You can download the AI-generated MHH60 song here.
Text: Bettina Dunker