Dialysemuseum Fürth
Small medical technology museum in the KfH kidney center Fürth on the history of dialysis – visits by appointment only.
About the museum
The museum was founded in 1990 on the initiative of the then head nurse of the Fürth dialysis center, Heidemarie Alexander, supported by the head physicians and the Kuratorium für Dialyse und Nierentransplantation (KfH). It is housed in the Jakob-Henle-Haus near the hospital, named after the anatomist born in Fürth who described the loop of Henle in the kidney.
The exhibition traces blood purification from early ideas of uroscopy through the first experiments with membranes in the 19th century to modern renal replacement therapy. Replicas of historical artificial kidneys – such as the first apparatus from the animal experiment of 1913, the first dialysis on a human in 1924 in Gießen, and Willem Kolff's rotating drum kidney – stand alongside around 50 original devices from 1955 onward, including devices from East Germany.
The museum also shows dialyzers, catheters, and the development of dialysis shunts. The collection is looked after on a voluntary basis by dialysis professionals, who answer questions about treatment and living with dialysis during tours.
Highlights
- Replica of the first artificial kidney of 1913
- Reconstruction of the Haas kidney, the first dialysis on a human
- Rotating drum kidney after Willem Kolff (replica)
- Around 50 original devices from 1955 to today
- Tours by dialysis professionals
Permanent exhibitions
- Geschichte der Nierenersatztherapie – Replicas of early artificial kidneys and original devices since the 1950s show how dialysis developed from laboratory experiments into routine treatment.
- Founded
- 1990
- Operated by
- KfH Kuratorium für Dialyse und Nierentransplantation e. V.
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Robert-Koch-Straße
Bus to the Robert-Koch-Straße stop.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Tours by arrangement, possible in German, English, French, and Russian. The exhibition room is on the third floor of the Jakob-Henle-Haus (side entrance). |
