The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) was officially designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research in 1975, marking the beginning of its remarkable five-decade journey in combating rabies. Since then, the FLI has become a global leader in several key research areas: pioneering oral vaccination of foxes, a breakthrough strategy that has virtually eliminated fox-mediated rabies across much of Europe; advancing oral immunization of dogs, enhancing epidemiological and laboratory diagnostics for both terrestrial and bat-associated lyssaviruses; and building comprehensive surveillance systems and databanks to inform rabies control policies. Over 50 years, the FLI’s dedication to innovation, diagnostics, field trials, and collaboration has profoundly shaped global rabies surveillance and control strategies.