Students have been exploring the history of medicine in semester projects undertaken as part of the illustration class at the Berlin University of the Arts. From the first surgical procedures to caesarean births and the development of safe vaccines, the work of countless research teams has permanently improved our life expectancy and quality of life. During this course, students researched key milestones in the history of medicine and transformed them into lively comic narratives. They combined historical knowledge with creative forms of expression, developing their own narrative perspectives in the process.
The works accordingly approach the history of medicine in very different ways. At times they are entertaining and humorous—at others, factual and informative. Sometimes they are personal, critical, or philosophical. In this way, the comics offer diverse perspectives on historical contexts and demonstrate how artistic expression can render complex topics accessible, reflective, and engaging.
Comics provide unique opportunities for knowledge transfer. By combining images and text, brevity, rhythm, and visual storytelling, they can convey complex content in vivid, multilayered ways. Narrative structures open emotional pathways, encourage empathy, and make historical experiences easier to understand. Comics allow facts to be combined with subjective perspectives, enabling scientific stories to inform and move readers.
The Digital Network for Collections has provided a tool for presenting these results in the form of a virtual exhibition.
Images: (1) Lea Holicka, (2) Maja von Arnim, (3) Julia Vermoehlen
