Appreciation
Meckel Award for Andreas Winkelmann, MHB professor of anatomy
Halle, 9 July 2026
Prof. Dr. Andreas Winkelmann, professor of anatomy at the Brandenburg Medical School (MHB) and director of the Institute of Anatomy, received the Meckel Award from the donors’ association of the Meckel Anatomical Collections. The prize honors his scientific merits on behalf of the exploration and preservation of medical collections. Key aspects were his studies on the history and ethics of anatomy, provenance research about human remains from the NS and colonial periods and his long-term interest in the dissection and preparation of human remains as an indispensable part of anatomy instruction.
Prof. Winkelmann underlines the historical significance of the Meckel Anatomical Collections among anatomical collections in the German-language area, with a dynasty of three anatomists named Meckel as their founders: “One of them, Philipp Friedrich Theodor Meckel, even stipulated in his will that his skeleton should become part of the collections. It has been presented in its own showcase since 1803. I feel greatly honored that the donors’ association appreciates my years of research with the award.”
This year’s “Long Night of the Sciences” in Halle on 3 July was the setting for a lecture by Prof. Winkelmann on “anatomists on the dissecting table - the first body donors”.
Prof. Winkelmann is currently in charge of a research project on the origins of human remains of the Sami in German collections, with the German Lost Art Foundation (Deutsches Zentrum Kulturgutverluste) as sponsors for two years. The focus is on the colonial-era interest in human remains and the scientific exploration of their provenance.
The Meckel Award honors outstanding anatomical research and contributions to the history of collections in that field, as well as exceptional efforts to preserve and cultivate historically developed anatomical and scientific collections.
The Meckel Anatomical Collections at the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg are among the most renowned European collections of anatomy and pathology, presenting about 8,000 medical and zoological specimens. Their origins date back to the 18th century. In 2015 they were included in the national list of valuable cultural assets.