Collections

The Josephinum houses a wide range of collections of different types, ages and origins, which together make up the cultural inheritance of the Medical University of Vienna and the earlier medical faculty of the University of Vienna. The mature collections now reflect over 650 years of the institution’s history; their richness and diversity make them a treasure of international significance.

Books

This is a part of the University Library of the Medical University of Vienna that is housed in the Josephinum and is available to the public. More

Archive materials

The core of the documents collection is the holding of various types of papers. More

Pictures

The picture collection originates with Max Neuburger, who started collecting and archiving photographs, paintings, watercolors etc. More

Instruments

The instrument collection contains tools from all the subdomains of medicine, from tourniquets to cystoscopes. More

Wax models

The famous collection of anatomical and obstetric wax models also dates back to Joseph’s travels and to his own initiative. More

Inquiries and image rights

Extent and centerpieces of the collection

Among the holdings are extensive libraries, archive materials, pictures, bequests, teaching aids, models and instruments that have accrued in connection with the everyday work of the faculty in science, teaching, research and healthcare, thus representing their development in a range of different ways.

The heart of the collections in the Josephinum is the original holdings that Joseph II ordered for the founding of the institution, especially the world-famous collection of anatomical wax models and the Josephinian Library.

Over the ages

Over the past few centuries, many new collections have been brought into the institution one-by-one, and what was originally founded as a surgical academy has transformed into a museum and a center for researching and teaching the history of medicine.

The wax model collection was accessible to a wider public right from the time of the Josephinum’s founding in 1785, even if it was primarily intended for teaching purposes. In this spirit, even today the Josephinum does not see itself as a museum in the strictest sense of the word but as a vibrant site where the collections never stop growing and are reinterpreted and made accessible for teaching and research as well as to the general public.

Other collections

There are two other collections that also form an important part of the cultural inheritance of the Medical University of Vienna: the Forensic Medicine Collection and the Dental Collection.

If you have any questions, please contact: archiv@josephinum.ac.at