University Medicine Presented Two Awards

On their Academic Day, the "dies academicus", the Faculty of Medicine and the University Hospital of Würzburg commemorate a milestone in their history: the opening of the Luitpold Hospital on 2 November 1921. "Back then, the foundations were laid for a nationally and internationally renowned research location that has decisively shaped the profile of the University of Würzburg," said Dean Professor Matthias Frosch and Medical Director Professor Tim J. von Oertzen.

The celebration took place on 3 November 2025 in the lecture hall of the Rudolf Virchow Centre / Institute of Molecular Infection Biology. The opening by the Dean was followed by the keynote speech by Jochen Sautermeister. The Professor of Moral Theology at the Faculty of Catholic Theology at the University of Bonn spoke on the topic: "Abuse of power in universities and science". Awards were then on the programme.

Rinecker Medal to Georg Ertl

In recognition of his many years of outstanding services to the clinical, scientific and structural development of the Faculty of Medicine and the University Hospital, Professor Georg Ertl was awarded the Rinecker Medal. "Professor Georg Ertl has rendered outstanding services to Würzburg University Medicine over decades as a doctor, teacher and researcher in his roles as Clinic Director, Dean and Medical Director," said Professor Stefan Frantz in his laudatory speech.

Georg Ertl studied medicine in Mainz and Graz from 1968 to 1974 and received his doctorate from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Mainz in 1975. This was followed by periods at the University of Düsseldorf and Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, and further training in internal medicine and cardiology in Würzburg.

Founder of the German Centre for Heart Failure

In 1995, he was appointed to the Chair of Cardiology at the Faculty of Medicine in Mannheim/Heidelberg. In 1999, he returned to Würzburg and succeeded Kurt Kochsiek as Director of the Medical Clinic and Polyclinic I at the University Hospital of Würzburg, where he became spokesman for the Collaborative Research Centre 355 "Pathophysiology of Heart Failure". From 2004 to 2006, Professor Ertl was Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Würzburg. He was President of the German Society of Cardiology - Cardiovascular Research (DGK) from 2011 to 2013.

In 2010, Ertl founded the German Centre for Heart Failure (DZHI) as an integrated research and treatment centre in Würzburg, of which he was spokesperson until 2017. He was also the lead applicant for a research building for the DZHI, which was occupied in 2017.

As Medical Director and Chairman of the Executive Board, he steered the fortunes of the University Hospital of Würzburg from 2016 to 2020. He has been a senior professor at the DZHI since 2020 and has been Secretary General of the German Society of Internal Medicine since 2019.

Siebold Medal for Christian Schuchardt

With the Carl Caspar von Siebold Medal, Würzburg University Medicine honours individuals who have rendered outstanding services to its further development. This year, the medal goes to Christian Schuchardt, who was Lord Mayor of the City of Würzburg until June 2025 and has been Chief Executive of the Association of German and North Rhine-Westphalian Cities since 1 July 2025.

"Christian Schuchardt has shown great personal and professional commitment to Würzburg University Medicine and has worked together for the Würzburg health region. His international commitment was also characterised by partnership-based cooperation in the promotion of humanitarian and medical projects," reads the laudatory speech held by Professor Matthias Frosch.

Great Supporter of University Medicine

Schuchardt took over the office of treasurer in Würzburg in 2007. He was elected Lord Mayor in 2014 and confirmed in this office in 2020. During this time, he has always proven to be a great supporter of Würzburg University Medicine, for example when it comes to realising important construction projects. Schuchardt has always been aware of the importance of the University Hospital as a supra-regional maximum care provider for the healthcare of society and has also influenced structural developments himself and initiated necessary measures to ensure the provision of care.

Christian Schuchardt's town twinning with Mwanza, Tanzania, has also developed synergies with the Else Kröner Centre Würzburg-Mwanza, which was founded at Würzburg University Hospital. As a member of the centre's advisory board, he has always emphasised the close links between the city of Würzburg and its university medical centre as the basis for cooperation on medical and humanitarian projects. Characterised by these partnerships, Schuchardt also ensured that tropical and travel medicine expertise could be maintained at the location and expanded at the University Medical Centre for the population in the region despite economically driven upheavals in the healthcare system.

Four members of the University Medical Centre provided the musical accompaniment to the dies Academicus: Sarah König (flute), Thiên-Trí Lâm (violin), Maria Drayß (viola) and Carmina Teresa Fuß (cello).