Die Pflegi – a centre for women’s empowerment and cutting-edge medical care
August 25, 2026
6 min
Three women, a vision and a legacy that continues to have an impact to this day. The legendary ‘Pflegi’ brought modern nursing to Switzerland. But how much of that pioneering spirit remains in our healthcare system today? Our anniversary celebration yesterday showed that the questions raised back then are more relevant than ever.
What an inspiring legacy!
In 1896, at the first Swiss Women’s Congress in Geneva, the young surgeon Anna Heer called for the professionalisation of nursing education – inspired by Florence Nightingale. In 1901, Anna Heer and Mother Superior Ida Schneider, together with Marie Heim-Vögtlin – the first Swiss woman to graduate with a degree in medicine – opened the hospital and the nursing school at Römerhof.
Three pioneering women built a hospital by women, for women: with courage, foresight and tremendous dedication.
The Swiss School of Nursing, or ‘Pflegi’ for short, was far more than just a training centre. The Pflegi enabled women to pursue a recognised, professional and paid career and introduced modern nursing to Switzerland. At the same time, it filled important gaps in healthcare provision and in vocational training for women.
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From heritage to the future: the pioneering spirit lives on
Even though the Pflegi no longer exists in its original form, its pioneering spirit lives on: following the merger with what was then Neumünster Hospital, its legacy is now part of the Zollikerberg Healthcare Centre. In 1998, the gynaecology, obstetrics and neonatology departments moved from the city to Zollikerberg. Even today, specialist staff from the Pflegi continue to work at the Zollikerberg Healthcare Centre.
At yesterday’s anniversary celebration, held on the premises of the former staff gymnasium, attendees looked back on the past, shared a laugh and, at the same time, engaged in lively discussions about the future. Contributions from Dr Christine Bigler, Verena E. Müller, Katharina Kull and Sabina Decurtins offered exciting perspectives on primary care and the challenges it faces:
- Where are the gaps in inclusive healthcare today?
- Where is more research needed?
- How must nursing and medicine evolve so that people receive even better treatment and care?
The take-home message was clear: anyone or anything that is not taken into account will be overlooked – in medical treatment just as much as in research. There were no clear answers to all the curious questions from the audience. But perhaps that is precisely one of the most important messages of the evening: progress begins with the courage to ask questions.
The pioneering spirit of the founders is still evident today at Gesundheitswelt Zollikerberg: in the determination to challenge the status quo, to develop the right services and to work together across disciplines.
Happy 125th anniversary, dear Pflegi!
Thank you for laying this important foundation for inclusive healthcare – and for the pioneering spirit that lives on in us to this day.
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