The Hortus medicus (constructed in 1723) was conceived as an integral part of the anatomy building. It served as a teaching garden where medical students studied botany and pharmaceutical theory.
Following the departure of the Bavarian State University in 1800, the anatomy building was vacated and repurposed, and the garden lost its academic function. The site became private property and was used as a city garden and orchard meadow.
In 1973 with the renovation of the building and the establishment of the German Museum of Medical History, the medicinal herb garden was once again incorporated as a living part of the site. Initially limited in size, the garden was later expanded so that medicinal plants bordered four large, symmetrical lawns.
The current planting concept divides the garden into ornamental beds framed by boxwood hedges, with plants grouped according to their active ingredients and botanical families, including essential oils, alkaloids, saponins, mucilages, oils, bitter substances, tannins, and glycosides. A special section is dedicated to plants with multiple active compounds commonly used in homeopathy and folk medicine.
In 1992 was added the fragrance and touch garden which features raised beds and signage in Braille and tactile lettering. Around 50 medicinal plants with characteristic textures or intense aromas—such as horsetail, rosemary, eucalyptus, mint, apple, and marshmallow—enable people with visual or mobility impairments to enjoy a rich sensory experience.
- Locate the item on this Google Map
Bibliography:
- C. Habrich, S. Hofmann, Deutsches Medizinhistorisches Museum Ingolstadt, Westermann, Braunschweig 1995, pp. 22-27
- More information in the museum official website (in German)