The history of Lipótmezö, the site of the first convulsive therapy.

The National Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, better known as "Lipót," where convulsive therapy was first performed by László Meduna in 1934, is an important site in the history of biological psychiatry. In the first half of the article, the circumstances regarding the foundation of the Institute and its first 60 years are reviewed. Meduna's achievements, the theoretical foundation of convulsive therapy, and its realization as an effective therapy are described. Finally, the latest 70 years of the Institute will be briefly reviewed, with special emphasis on the events of the last few months of 2007 in which the institution has been closed.