[From hospice to high-rise hospital--the development of western hospitals].

Departing from the first infirmaries in the Roman army installed as valetudinaria exclusively for sick and wounded soldiers the development of western hospital care began based on the idea of love for fellowman. The importance of the order of Monte Cassino founded by Benedict of Nursia in the 6th century is emphasized. The role of these hospices important as asylums and hospitals with spiritual assistance is exposed as well as the endeavours of lords, kings and citizens to found hospitals in the modern sense from the 17th century onwards. The institution of the general hospital became important from 1784 onwards in Vienna and soon thereafter in Berlin. Modern nursing movements developed from protestant nursing sisters in Kaiserswerth. Further organizations for nursing such as those initiated by Florence Nightingale and Agnes Karll and the establishment of organizations such as the Red Cross are discussed. During the 19th century the large hospitals were built, modeled either after the compact system of barracks or conceived to prevent hospitalism as pavilions. Specialized institutions developed at the same time from older asylums for plague, mentally ill or leprous patients. The most recent development of high rise hospitals as well as the ideas of disposable hospitals serve to discuss functional structures of a modern health care institution.