University collection on the history of medicine in the Malakow tower of the former Julius Philipp colliery in Bochum, with instruments spanning many centuries.
From October 1, 2026
Joint exhibition on the botanical studies of the Bochum physician and author of the "Jobsiade"; on view in the foyer of the Ruhr-Universität's Botanical Garden during its opening hours.
The core of the collection was assembled by the Bochum pediatrician Erich Püschel. When he took up a teaching post in the history of medicine at the Ruhr-Universität in 1974, he handed his objects over to the university and, through appeals for donations, expanded them into a teaching collection for medical students. With the Department of the History of Medicine, founded in 1985 under Irmgard Müller, the scholarly cataloging of the holdings began.
In 1990, most of the collection moved into the Malakow tower of the decommissioned Julius Philipp colliery on Markstraße, a massive 19th-century winding tower that had been converted for the university. The first permanent exhibition was created there by 1994. Since 2001, the medical historian Stefan Schulz has headed the collection as curator; in 2012, it was one of the founding members of the Bochum network of academic collections.
Today the holdings comprise more than 10,000 objects, mostly instruments and devices from the 19th and 20th centuries from fields such as anatomy, surgery, ophthalmology, gynecology, and dentistry, many of them donated by physicians and hospitals in the Ruhr region. In addition, there are personal estates and special collections such as a pharmaceutical collection of crude drugs, a medal collection, and heart sculptures by the Bochum artist Friedrich Gräsel. The exhibition in the tower presents changing thematic areas, some of which are developed in seminars with students.
| Adults | €3 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2Retirees, university students, school students, people with disabilities, job seekers, social assistance recipients, and apprentices |
| Children & teens | –Regular admission applies to adults aged 16 and over; school students pay the reduced price. |
| Seniors | €2Reduced admission for retirees. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €2Reduced admission for people with disabilities. |
| Students & apprentices | €2 |
| Groups (10+ people) | –Groups of 10 to 20 people pay a flat rate of €20 per group. |
| Group admission (10–20 people) | €20Flat rate per group |
| Group program by registration | €90Flat rate per group, duration 1.5 to 2 hours |
Prices apply to the permanent exhibition and current special exhibitions. Cash only; no debit or credit cards. Journalists with a press card are admitted free.
The exhibition is not yet fully accessible: the elevator reaches only some of the exhibition levels. An accessible restroom is available.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Glücksburger Straße · 5-min walk
U35 toward Hustadt to Markstraße, then about a 15-minute walk along Markstraße; or U35 to Ruhr-Universität and bus 346 toward Freiheitstraße to Glücksburger Straße, then about a 5-minute walk.
By car via the A43 (exit Bochum-Querenburg/Ruhr-Universität) or the A40 (exit Bochum-Harpen), then Universitätsstraße to the Steinkuhl/Markstraße exit and along Markstraße toward Linden; after about 1 km, turn right onto the signposted access road to the Malakowturm.
Get directionsThe museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| Photography | Photography and filming for private purposes are permitted. |
| Good to know | Group program in a jigsaw format: subgroups work on selected thematic areas and present them to one another (1.5 to 2 hours depending on group size); inquire by email at least two weeks in advance. Free multimedia audio guide "Stilvolle Körper. Eine Bildgeschichte der Medizin" (Stylish Bodies: A Pictorial History of Medicine) in the Actionbound app. |
All 7 museums in Bochum All museums in North Rhine-Westphalia
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