Mediation Continuing Education Program Mediation in Heidelberg

The Mediation continuing education program has a long tradition at Heidelberg University. The first mediation course in Germany was initiated in 1989 by Prof. Dr. Reiner Bastine at the Institute of Psychology at Heidelberg University. This laid the foundation for the oldest university-based, part-time continuing education program in mediation - accompanied by further activities in research, practice, professional policy, and networking in the field of mediation.

In 1995, Prof. Dr. Reiner Bastine and Lis Ripke founded the Heidelberg Institute for Mediation to offer a well-founded mediation training in Germany. The founding pioneers of divorce mediation from the United States, Dr. John Haynes, Dr. Gary Friedman, and Prof. Jack Himmelstein stood by as mentors and sources of inspiration.

In 1996, a public-private partnership was established with Heidelberg University for the Mediation continuing education program. Since then, more than 2,000 people from a wide range of professional backgrounds (including psychology, law, medicine, the arts, and economics) have been trained.