Founded in 1891, the Robert Koch Institute is one of the central institutions for health protection in Germany. It serves the Federal Ministry of Health as a central scientific institution in the field of biomedicine. The Institute combines risk research with political advice. Its most important tasks include protection against infectious diseases and the analysis of the health situation in Germany. The Robert Koch Institute is headquartered in Berlin, with a further branch located in Wernigerode in the Harz region. Around 250 of its 720 employees are scientists.
