Paul-Ehrlich-Institut

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His­to­ry of the Paul-Ehrlich-In­sti­tut

Anniversary Video "125 Years of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut"

Chronology

DateEvent
1896Paul Ehrlich becomes the director of the newly established Institute for Serum Research and Serum Testing at Steglitz (near Berlin).
1899

Relocation of the Institute for Serum Research and Serum Testing to Frankfurt/Main into the newly opened Royal Institute for Experimental Therapy (Königliches Institut für experimentelle Therapie).

  • Official testing of all therapeutic antisera subject to state control.
  • Work in the areas of hygiene and bacteriology for public hygiene of the city, hospitals and physicians of Frankfurt.
  • Further development of the subject of immunology, especially serum research based on the theoretical side-chain.
1901Establishment of the Department for Cancer Research at the Royal Institute.
1906Opening of the Georg-Speyer House and assignment of the management duties to its first director, Paul Ehrlich.
1908Paul Ehrlich receives the Nobel Prize for Medicine in the field of immunology together with Ilia Metschnikow.
1911Establishment of the Department of Veterinary Medicine.
1915Paul Ehrlich dies.
1917Nomination of Wilhelm Kolle as director of both institutes
1921A "middle building section" is built to connect the two institutes – "Royal Institute for Experimental Therapy" and "Georg-Speyer House".
1935Appointment of Richard Otto to the Institute. He had all writings by Paul Ehrlich removed from the library in an effort to erase the name of its first director.
1944Partial relocation of the testing work from the Institute to Marburg after it was damaged by bombing and renaming as the State Institute for Experimental Therapy (Staatliches Institut für Experimentelle Therapie).
1947The Institute was renamed as the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, State Authority for Experimental Therapy (Staatliche Anstalt für Experimentelle Therapie).
1949Rebuilding and extension of the Institute at Frankfurt under Richard Prigge.
1962Günther Heymann takes on the function of acting head of the Institute.
1966Appointment of Nobel Prize winner Niels Kaj Jerne as head of the Institute.
1969Günther Heymann takes on the function of acting head of the Institute for the second time.
1972Based on the Act Establishing a Senior Federal Authority for Sera and Vaccines (Gesetz zur Errichtung eines Bundesamtes für Sera und Impfstoffe) the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut becomes an independent senior federal authority.
1974Hans Dieter Brede is appointed president of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut.
1986AIDS researcher Professor Reinhard Kurth becomes his successor and president of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut.
1987Partial relocation to Langen, federal state of Hesse.
1990Inauguration of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut at Langen.
1992Establishment of the Medical Biotechnology Division.
1995Creation of the new Haematology and Transfusion Medicine Division.
1996Based on new legislation, the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut takes over the responsibility for blood and blood preparations from the former Bundesgesundheitsamt (Federal Health Office).
1996100th anniversary of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut.
1999Reinhard Kurth assumes the role of president of the Robert Koch-Institut at Berlin.
2000The German Council of Science and Humanities (Wissenschaftsrat) attests the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut’s outstanding positon in the field of regulatory affairs in medicine and convincing competency in experimental research.
2000The Central Authority of the Länder for Health Protection with regard to Medicinal Products and Medical Devices (Zentralstelle der Länder für Gesundheitsschutz bei Arzneimitteln und Medizinprodukten, ZLG) accredits the testing laboratory for IVDs at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut.
2001Professor Johannes Löwer becomes president of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut.
2001Professor Klaus Cichutek becomes vice president at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut.
2002The DACH (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle Chemie GmbH) (German Accrediation Office) accredits the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut’s competency as testing laboratory.
2004150th birthday of Paul Ehrlich.
2004Paul-Ehrlich-Institut assumes the responsibility for gene transfer medicines, somatic cell therapeutics, and xenogenic cell therapeutics. Clinical studies with medicines in the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut’s remit require the Institute´s authorisation.
2005The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut becomes a WHO Collaboration Centre for Blood Products and in vitro Diagnostic Devices (IVD).
2009Professor Klaus Cichutek becomes the new president of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut.
2013The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut becomes a WHO Collaboration Centre for Standardization and Evaluation of Vaccines.
2015Jubilee on the occasion of the 100th death day of Paul Ehrlich.
2021125th anniversary of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut
2021The Center for Pandemic Vaccines and Therapeutics (Zentrum für Pandemie-Impfstoffe und -Therapeutika, ZEPAI) is established at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut.
2024Professor Stefan Vieths becomes acting president of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut.

Updated: 01.01.2024