The Library

The Institute for the History of Medicine has the world's largest specialised library on the history of homeopathy and also a remarkable collection of books and journals on the history of medicine in general and the social history of medicine in particular (now comprising over 75,000 items). This makes the IGM one of the largest medical history libraries in Germany.

Approximately 14,500 volumes belong to the field of homeopathy and form the institute's special collection, which is unique in the world. The collection is international in scope and covers the entire history since Hahnemann. In order to fulfil the tasks of a special library, the collection is constantly being expanded through the purchase of new publications as well as antiquarian acquisitions.

The electronic library catalogue (Web-OPAC) of the IGM Library has been accessible via the Internet since 2004 and allows interested parties convenient access to the catalogue data with targeted thematic searches (see left column). Loans are only available in the Stuttgart area. As the library is affiliated with the German interlibrary loan system, some of the holdings can also be borrowed via interlibrary loan (library code: STG 255).