[Teaching medical history in the German medical curriculum: prospects and risks].

The paper analyses the special situation of teaching medical history in German medical schools. According to German law (Approbationsordnung für Arzte) medical history is part of an interdisciplinary subject (Querschnittsbereich) which is called "history, theory, ethics of medicine". The paper presents some historical attempts to show the relevance of medical history for medical education, explores the present context of teaching medical history in Germany, and gives some recommendations for teaching medical history under the new circumstances.