14th Forensic Night: two nights, two shops
Eventim lists the 14. Forensische Nacht Benefizveranstaltung des Rotary Club Düsseldorf-Kaiserpfalz on two days at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. Saturday 14 November 2026, 19:00, product 22082465. Sunday 15 November 2026, 16:00, product 22082469. Tickets: Eventim, 14 November and Eventim, 15 November.
The 13th edition was 2025, the first year with two nights, 15 November 19:00 and 16 November 16:00. University Hospital Düsseldorf counted 1,300 tickets, gone in a day. 2024, the 12th, filled the same hall once: 600 seats, Rotary Magazine. 2026 repeats the double night: Saturday 19:00, Sunday 16:00.
True Work on True Crime
The format picks the audience up at what crime shows claim, then puts the real shift against it. Stefanie Ritz, director of legal medicine at HHU, a founding member of the club, told RP after the 13th night: meet people at their knowledge from crime shows, then show how forensic medicine and the criminal police actually work together.
In 2025 the motto was “True Work on True Crime”. On stage: Stefanie Ritz and Britta Gahr, Institute of Legal Medicine at UKD, Detective Chief Inspector Maikel Stiefel, LZPD NRW Innovation Lab. Host: Barbara Havliza, NRW victims’ commissioner. In the room: NRW interior minister Herbert Reul. UKD press release on the 13th night.
Subjects those two nights: femicide, date-rape drugs, domestic violence, crime-scene work. The team tested wristbands on stage that are meant to detect knockout drops. Each light stood for a woman who, statistically, becomes a victim of domestic violence. Gisèle Pelicot was named. That is the middle of the file, not the opening and not the close.
2024, Rotary Magazine: Ritz opened, Gahr beside her, inspectors Torben Konrad and Maikel Stiefel. Konrad on the BKA identification commission. Stiefel sent the robot dog Spot through the hall. One number from the night: livor mortis at the earliest after 20 minutes, rigor at the earliest after an hour. Advice to victims of a violent crime, Ritz and Gahr: do not shower, do not wash, clothes in a paper bag, get to a hospital fast.
Benefit, not show business
The club writes “hands on” on the flag: earn the money, do not just transfer it. Stefanie Ritz in 2019 to Westdeutsche Zeitung, on the tenth night. Rotary Club Düsseldorf-Kaiserpfalz has invited, on the club site, since 2012; Rotary Magazine, RP and UKD say since 2009. Two dates, one event.
In 2025 surplus and donations went to Frauenberatungsstelle Düsseldorf e.V. for Extra für Kinder and to Stiftung Rechtsmedizin. The club, June 2026, district Best Practice Award, first place for the format: most recently in November 2025, 30,000 euros for Extra für Kinder. Tickets 2025: 33 euros in advance at Westticket, 36 at the door, HHU notice 8 September 2025. In 2026 the shop is Eventim.
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
Address for the night: Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf. Lecture hall 3A, Konrad-Henkel-Hörsaal, buildings 23.01 / 23.11 / 23.21 on the campus map. 2024 flyer: parking P5, buses 731, 735, 827, stop Uni-Mensa. HHU sits 3.5 kilometres south of the centre and main station, Stadtbahn U73 and U79 to Uni Ost / Botanischer Garten. Our file: Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf.
1965 as Universität Düsseldorf out of the medical academy, 1988 named for Heinrich Heine. Five faculties, 28,196 students in winter semester 2025/26. The Institute of Legal Medicine belongs to the university hospital on the same campus. Source: Wikipedia, University of Düsseldorf, hhu.de.
Konrad Henkel, namesake of the hall, ran Henkel. The university’s largest lecture theatre carries the industrial name, the benefit night carries forensic medicine. Both sit in one building.
Tickets, getting there, the next search
Tickets via Eventim. Book Forensic Night tickets online: 14 November, 19:00 or 15 November, 16:00. Club and institute: duesseldorf-kaiserpfalz.rotary.de, uniklinik-duesseldorf.de.
| Fact | Two Eventim dates in 2026: 14 November 19:00 (product 22082465) and 15 November 16:00 (product 22082469), Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. Eventim. |
|---|---|
| Fact | 2025 was the 13th edition, two nights, 15 and 16 November, 1,300 tickets gone in a day. UKD, RP, HHU. |
| Fact | 2024, 12th night, hall 3A, 600 seats. Rotary Magazine, 1 February 2025. |
| Fact | 2025 surplus to Extra für Kinder at Frauenberatungsstelle Düsseldorf e.V. and Stiftung Rechtsmedizin. UKD. Club, June 2026: 30,000 euros for Extra für Kinder. |
| Fact | Hall 3A = Konrad-Henkel-Hörsaal, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf. HHU, Frauenberatungsstelle flyer. |
| Fact | HHU: 1965 Universität Düsseldorf, 1988 Heinrich Heine, 28,196 students WS 2025/26. Wikipedia. |
| Hypothesis | Both nights sit in hall 3A. Medium confidence: Eventim names HHU, not the hall. 2024 and 2025 used Konrad-Henkel-Hörsaal, the club calls it HHU’s largest hall. |
| Rumour | “Since 2009” versus “since 2012”. Rotary Magazine, RP, UKD write 2009. The club site writes 2012. Two counters, one night. |
Sources: Wikipedia HHU, Rotary Düsseldorf-Kaiserpfalz, HHU, forensic nights, UKD, 13th Forensic Night, Rotary Magazine, RP, Eventim.