ENA St. Elisabeth hospital in Germany is not a single address: dozens of hospitals carry the saint’s name, spelled in different ways — St. Elisabeth-Krankenhaus, St. Elisabethen-Klinikum, Elisabeth-Krankenhaus, Elisabethenstift.
This page explains where the name comes from, gives examples in different cities, shows how to find the hospital named in a doctor’s letter or a recommendation, and what AlenMed can do for you.
Why so many German hospitals are named after St. Elisabeth
The name was chosen for a reason: Elisabeth of Hungary cared for the sick in Marburg in the 13th century and became the patron of Catholic charity work, so hospitals founded by religious orders, parishes and Catholic associations were often named after her. She is also known as Elisabeth of Thuringia because, as the daughter of the Hungarian king, she married the Landgrave of Thuringia; after she was widowed, she settled in Marburg and founded a hospital there.
Many of these hospitals are still run by Catholic non-profit operators, but some have changed owners and kept only the saint’s name. So the name alone does not tell you who runs a hospital: the imprint (Impressum) on its website does. The words «Klinikum» and «Krankenhaus» are mixed in the names too — there is a St. Elisabethen-Klinikum as well as a St. Elisabethen-Krankenhaus — and our article on the German healthcare system explains how hospitals in Germany are organised.
St. Elisabeth hospitals in different German cities
Hospitals with this name exist all over the country, and very different organisations run them. St. Elisabethen-Klinikum in Ravensburg (Baden-Württemberg) belongs to the district of Ravensburg: its imprint names the district’s company, Oberschwabenklinik gGmbH, so the hospital has a public operator, not a church one. St. Elisabethen-Krankenhaus in Frankfurt am Main names St. Elisabethen Krankenhaus Frankfurt GmbH & Co. KG as its operator; in 2019 the hospital passed from the Dernbacher Gruppe Katharina Kasper to the private Artemed group. In the Ruhr area, in Herne and Witten, the Catholic St. Elisabeth Gruppe – Katholische Kliniken Rhein-Ruhr carries the saint’s name as a group, while its hospitals have other names, such as St. Anna Hospital Herne. The federal Bundes-Klinik-Atlas lists more, for example St. Elisabeth-Krankenhaus Leipzig in Leipzig and Elisabeth-Krankenhaus Essen in Essen, both with a non-profit operator (freigemeinnützig).
Why this matters for a patient abroad: a letter that says only «St. Elisabeth» may come from a small local hospital or from a large teaching hospital, and their departments can be completely different. If your reports go to the wrong one, the reply may come from a department that does not treat your condition.
How to identify the right St. Elisabeth hospital
You identify the right hospital by several details together: the town and postcode in the address, the full official name, the department and the doctor’s name on the letter, and the operator given in the imprint on the hospital’s website. If the letter shows only a name and a town, the federal Bundes-Klinik-Atlas directory helps: you can search it by hospital name, town or postcode. All of these details should match; the saint’s name on its own proves nothing.
If you are unsure, send the letter to AlenMed: we check which hospital is meant and whether its department fits your diagnosis, and only then send your documents there.
A church-run hospital: what to expect as a foreign patient
A church-run hospital is a regular part of the German hospital system: it is approved for treatment under the same rules as municipal and private hospitals and, like them, publishes a quality report every year — a duty of every hospital, as the federal health portal explains. Patients of every faith are treated, and chaplaincy is offered, not imposed. Practical questions, such as meals that respect your faith or a place to pray, are best clarified with the hospital in advance, because each hospital sets these arrangements itself. Hospitals named after the Virgin Mary are in the same situation, as the page on Marien hospitals in Germany shows.
Frequently asked questions
Where is St. Elisabeth Hospital in Germany?
There is no single St. Elisabeth Hospital: dozens of hospitals in different cities carry the saint’s name. They include St. Elisabethen-Klinikum in Ravensburg, St. Elisabethen-Krankenhaus in Frankfurt, St. Elisabeth-Krankenhaus Leipzig and Elisabeth-Krankenhaus Essen, and the St. Elisabeth Gruppe works in the Ruhr area. The town, postcode and full name on your doctor’s letter show which one is meant, and the federal Bundes-Klinik-Atlas lets you look it up.
Are all St. Elisabeth hospitals Catholic?
No. Many are still run by Catholic non-profit operators, such as the St. Elisabeth Gruppe in the Ruhr area. But the hospital in Ravensburg has a public operator: it belongs to the district of Ravensburg. And the hospital in Frankfurt has been part of the private Artemed group since 2019. Who runs a particular hospital is stated in the imprint (Impressum) on its website.
Do St. Elisabeth hospitals treat patients of other faiths?
Yes. A patient’s faith affects neither admission nor treatment: the treatment plan is set by the doctor according to the diagnosis. Chaplaincy in a church-run hospital is offered, never imposed. If meals that respect your faith or a place to pray matter to you, discuss this with the hospital before you travel — AlenMed can pass these questions on together with the treatment enquiry.
Do St. Elisabeth hospitals accept patients from abroad?
Yes, if the relevant department agrees to take the case. The hospital itself decides after reviewing the translated reports, findings and scans. AlenMed translates the documents and sends the enquiry to the department; if the hospital agrees, it proposes a date and sends a cost estimate (Kostenvoranschlag), and the patient pays the hospital directly. If the department declines, AlenMed suggests another hospital.
How AlenMed organises treatment at a St. Elisabeth hospital
AlenMed translates your medical reports into German and sends an enquiry to the relevant department of the St. Elisabeth hospital you have chosen; the hospital decides on admission and prepares a cost estimate (Kostenvoranschlag).
Payment goes directly to the hospital. AlenMed helps with the invitation for the medical visa and, on request, arranges an interpreter, airport pick-up and accommodation. The company office is in Munich, partner hospitals are located across Germany, and if one of them fits your diagnosis better, we will tell you so. See the pages on arranging treatment in Germany and hospitals in Germany.
This material is for reference only and is not an offer. The treatment plan is decided by the doctor at a face-to-face consultation.