Hygieia Medal
Every two years, the Rudolf Schülke Foundation presents the Hygieia Medal to persons who have dedicated their life’s work in hygiene and microbiology.
The medal is named after the Greek goddess Hygieia. In Greek mythology, Hygieia is one of the daughters of Asclepius, god of medicine and healing, and Epione, goddess of soothing of pain.
Hygieia is the personification of good health, cleanliness and hygiene. She gave her name to the word ”hygiene”, which in ancient Greek stood for all–encompassing hygienics and health-giving life style. Her name is called on at the very beginning of the Hippocratic oath: “I swear by Apollo the physician, and Asclepius the surgeon, likewise Hygieia and Panacea, and call all the gods and goddesses to witness…”
This year the Medal was awarded to Professor Thomas Mertens (STIKO).
Laureates of the Hygieia Medal
Here you will find the laureates of the Hygieia Medal since 1976:
2024
Dr. Bärbel Christiansen
Formerly head of Kommission für Krankenhaushygiene und Infektionsprävention (KRINKO), Germany
2022
Prof Thomas Mertens
Staendige Impfkommission (STIKO), Germany
2020
Prof Ursel Heudorf
Formerly Health Department City of Frankfurt, Germany
2018
Prof Philippe Hartemann
Formerly dean of the Medical Faculty of Nancy, France
2015
Prof Elaine Larson
Columbia University, U.S.A.
2013
Prof Sally Florence Bloomfield
Director, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
and
Prof William A. Rutala, Phd, MPH
Director, Hospital Epidemiology, UNC Health Care and Professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2011
Prof Axel Kramer, MD
Director, Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Health University of Greifswald
2009
Prof Syed Sattar, MD
Director, Centre for Research on Environmental Microbiology (CREM), Ottawa
2007
Prof Manfred Rotter, MD
Formerly Director Clinical Institute for Hygiene and Medical Microbiology, Vienna
2005
Prof Hans-Günther Sonntag, MD
Formerly dean of the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg
2003
Prof Heike Bösenberg, MD
Formerly director of the Hygiene Institute University of Münster
and
Prof Knut-Olaf Gundermann
Formerly director of the Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine of the University Clinic, Kiel
2001
Prof Heinz Flamm
Formerly dean of the Hygiene Institute of the University of Vienna
and
Prof Gerald Reybrouck
Formerly director Hospital Hygiene at the Catholic University, Leuven
1999
Prof Walter Steuer
Formerly director of regional public health department Baden-Württemberg
1997
Prof Günther Spicher
Formerly director at the Robert-Koch-Institute, Berlin
1993
Prof Joachim Borneff, MD
Formerly director of the Hygiene-Institute of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz
1991
Prof Ewald Kanz
Formerly director of the Institute of applied Hygiene of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Munic and the department Hospital Hygiene of the University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg
and
Prof Theodor Lammers, MD
Formerly director of the Hygiene Institute, Dortmund
1989
Prof Hans Reber, MD
Formerly dean of the Central Laboratory, Kantonspital Basel
1987
Prof Ludwig Grün, MD
Hygiene Institute of the University Düsseldorf
1984
Prof Joachim Wüstenberg
Formerly director at the Hygiene Institute of the Ruhrarea, Gelsenkirchen
and
Prof Friedrich Dosch, MD
Formerly director of the Hygienic-Bacteriological Institute of the city of Vienna
1978
Prof Horst Habs, MD
Formerly director of the Hygiene Institute Bonn
and
Prof Bernhard Schmidt, MD
Formerly director of the Institute of Hygiene and Medical Microbiology of the Free University of Berlin
1976
Prof Karl Heiken, PhD
Formerly director at the Robert-Koch-Institute, Berlin