World Anatomy Day is a joint initiative of the IFAA and national Anatomical Societies.
At the 19th IFAA Congress in London, in August 2019 the IFAA General Assembly took a decision to celebrate World Anatomy Day on October 15th of each year. It was on this day, that the father of modern anatomy, Andreas Vesalius died in 1564. World Anatomy Day is an opportunity to celebrate the discipline of anatomy and make local communities aware of its important role in the training of health sciences professionals. The theme of this year’s World Anatomy Day is “Global perspectives of anatomy – bringing together the global community and recognising differences while celebrating similarities.” The theme emphasises unity, diversity and collaboration within the international anatomy community.
Several German anatomical institutes are offering a colorful program of events to celebrate this year's World Anatomy Day. For example, the Center for Anatomy at Göttingen University Medical Center (UMG) is hosting an open house on Saturday, October 18, 2025, with guided tours of the collection and hands-on activities ranging from demonstrations using real specimens to state-of-the-art digital models, as well as a lecture on the “nanocosmos in the brain.”
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Those interested in the interface between art and science in a historical context will find what they are looking for in Munich: On October 15, 2025, at 7:00 p.m., Prof. Dr. med. Jens Waschke, Director of the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, will give a lecture on the topic "Anatomy – Where from? Where to? – Why were philosophers and artists also anatomists in the past, but are no longer so today?"
Finally, the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg is offering all-day tours of the world-famous Meckel Collection on October 15, 2025, to mark World Anatomy Day.
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