Charité Hospital – Rudolf Virchow Institute of Pathology

In Germany
History of the Institute of Pathology, Charité-Rudolf Virchow House
In 1831, the Charité Medical School in Berlin established a Department of Pathological Anatomy (later the Institute of Pathology), marking the beginning of pathology at Charité Hospital. This institute is one of the oldest and most renowned pathological research institutions globally.

In 1856, Rudolf Virchow was appointed Director of the Department of Pathological Anatomy at Charité Hospital, leading to the establishment of Europe’s first dedicated Institute of Pathology, the "Charité Institute of Pathology."

By 1906, the institute was formally completed and renamed the "Rudolf Virchow Institute of Pathology" in honor of its founder.

In 1989, the year the Berlin Wall fell, the institute expanded into eight major departments engaged in a wide range of research topics. After German reunification, Professor Manfred Dietel became the institute’s Director, initiating a new era of innovative development.

In 1999, under Professor Dietel’s leadership, the institute underwent renovation and modernization to meet the demands of modern surgical and molecular pathology research. Additionally, a biobank and a telepathology consultation center were established, connecting the institute to the UICC (Union for International Cancer Control) global network of pathology experts.

Virchow Laboratories in China

China Virchow Laboratory Group
The China Virchow Laboratory Group was co-founded by Academician Manfred Dietel (Chairman of the German-Chinese Health Organization, Member of the German Academy of Sciences, and Director of the German Rudolf Virchow Institute of Pathology) and Mr. Markus Fehr (Vice Chairman of the German-Chinese Health Organization, Chairman and CEO of the Virchow Laboratory Group). The group has established offices and central laboratories in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wuhan, and other cities. It is dedicated to an innovative integrated development model combining R&D, scientific research, teaching, training, diagnosis, and treatment in the fields of routine pathology and molecular pathology.