Annual meeting and seminar 2026

Hortus sanitatis: Historical perspectives on gardens, health and well-being
Hortus sanitatis – the herb garden of health – is the theme of this year's seminar. The title is borrowed from the printed literature of the late fourteenth century, which in an all-encompassing way sought to capture knowledge about the garden's contribution to medicine, health and general natural knowledge. During the two days of the seminar, we focus on the importance of green environments for health, well-being and care from different historical perspectives. Literature, the cultivation of medicinal plants, and botanical gardens laid the foundation for knowledge production in the early modern field of medicine. Since then, the importance of plants and green spaces for people's health – both physical and mental – has taken different forms. This year's seminar aims to contribute to the state of knowledge about how plants, gardens and park environments affect health and well-being, as well as what we can learn through the preservation of older care institutions and facilities.