[The medical faculty of the Wittenberg University 1502-1817 - the stats of research].

Abstract

This essay provides an overview of the scientific literature regarding the history of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Wittenberg, Germany. The University of Wittenberg was the domain, where Martin Luther and Philipp Melanchton worked; in the 16th century it was one of the greatest universities of the Holy Roman Empire. There has been a controversial discussion on the history of the Faculty of Medicine since the mid-19th century. Since the 1980s, it is an accepted and studied field of research on its own. The various publications on the topic can be subdivided into three specific areas: 1. Reformation and medicine, 2. biographic works on professors of medicine, and 3. historical works regarding social and librarian fields of research. The results of those works can be interpreted and merged in view of the Faculty of Medicine. However, for a revalidation of the faculty's role within an European scientific scene further scrutiny of sources is needed.