August Rauber’s ideas for the creation of an Anatomy Museum in Lithuania (1920–1940)

Professor August Rauber (1841–1917) created the most important school of anatomy in the Baltic region. His students continued his educational and research work in their native countries. One of them was Professor Jurgis Žilinskas (1885–1957) who laid the foundation to Lithuanian anatomy and anthropology. From 1906–1912, he studied medicine at the University of Yuryev (Tartu) where Prof. A. Rauber worked for 25 years as Head of the Institute of Anatomy. In 1890, A. Rauber opened the Anatomy Museum there. In the university, J. Žilinskas maintained close contacts with Professors A. Rauber (1841–1917), N. N. Burdenko (1876–1946), W. Zoege-Manteuffel (1857–1926) and E. Landau (1878–1959). After graduation from the university, J. Žilinskas as a talented student was invited to work as an assistant at the Department of Hospital Surgery at Yuryev University. After Lithuania restored its independence on 16 February 1918, Prof. J. Žilinskas participated actively in the organization of medical studies in Lithuania (1922–1940) and was one of the creators and the principal patron of the Museum of Anatomy. Returning to Lithuania, J. Žilinskas brought along the most advanced ideas of his professors, especially of his honoured Prof. A. Rauber. During this period, the collection of the museum increased to 3,890 specimens. Osteological specimens comprised 1,925 (around 50%) of the specimens, wet specimens – 753 (19.3%), corrosion specimens – 467 (12%), transparent specimens – 201 (5.2%), dry specimens – 107 (2.8%) and models – 437. Professor J. Žilinskas’ collection constitutes 50% of the present exhibits at the Anatomy Museum of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences.

Skulls on the road – historical traces of anatomical connections between Erlangen and Tartu/Dorpat

The Chair for the History of Medicine at the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) is currently researching the provenance of human remains in the University Collections. Obviously, the by far largest number of those specimens is found in the Anatomical Collection, which is studied in close cooperation with the Institute of Functional and Clinical Anatomy a joint research project. Several specimens dating back to the time of Heinrich Friedrich Isenflamm (1771–1828) have been identified that went from Erlangen to Dorpat as well as others that came from Dorpat to Erlangen.

Theatrum Anatomicum Rigense MCMXX and the historical collection of teaching and research exponates in the Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology of Riga Stradiņš University

The Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology (AAI) of Riga Stradiņš University (RSU) displays a remarkable historical collection of educational and scientific materials on anatomy and embryology, 8381 items in total. The creation of the collection started in 2002, and nowadays it integrates 16 sub-collections: the main exhibits of P. Stradiņš’s collection; the collection of pathological exhibits from Gailezers Hospital with 542 items; the collection of the Children’s Clinical University Hospital with 21 exhibits; Anatomy Laboratory collection with 105 exhibits; Professor A. Amelin’s collection with 134 exhibits; the animal collection with 64 exhibits; the collection of embryological exhibits with 138 specimens together with 59 exhibits of the reproductive system; the bone collection from archaeological excavations in Riga with 986 exhibits; the collection of bone preparations and skulls, 4714 exhibits; V. Derums’ bone collection of 94 items. A separate collection contains 67 exhibits from the first Latvian anatomical excavations conducted under the guidance of Professor J. Prīmanis and Polish archaeological excavations of the Order of the Brothers of the Sword in St. George’s Church and the Convent yard, which includes 48 historical finds; the above is supplemented by 26 finds from anthropological material and a collection of bone specimens with 82 exhibits and a collection of skulls with 159 exhibits. A separate section at the AAI exhibition displays a collection of animal bones, which includes 58 exhibits and is used for comparative studies. Since 2003, the historical collection has been used to teach Latvians and foreigners who are interested to understand death, diseased tissues, to teach sympathy and how to protect oneself and others from diseases. The historical material is used for regular student training as well as for students’ research needs. Finally, digitization of unique exhibits, description in Latvian and English, and placing in the RSU repository has started, and, so far, 240 exhibits have been processed.

A brief overview on the role of the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Tartu (the former Imperial University of Dorpat/Yuryev) in the development of anthropology in 1876–1918

During its history of nearly 390 years, the development of the University of Tartu has been discontinuous and complicated; sometimes it has even changed its location, but it has always included the Faculty of Medicine. For the longest time, the university operated as the Imperial University of Dorpat/Yuryev within the Russian Empire from 1802–1918. Even today, additions can be made to the biographies of some professors or graduates about the years they spent in Tartu (Dorpat/Yuryev) in that period. So, the role of the famous professors of anatomy Christian Hermann Ludwig Stieda (1837–1918) and August Antonius Rauber (1841–1917) in the development of anthropology at the Institute of Anatomy headed by them from 1876–1911 and in the following years until the Russian university in Tartu closed down in May 1918 has been studied modestly until now. To fill this gap, we present a brief overview on the role of the Institute of Anatomy at the University of Tartu in the development of anthropology in 1876–1918.

One cannot know anatomy too well: Jēkabs Prīmanis and anatomy for artists

In recent years the scholars have stressed the role of anatomical collections and their histories as crucial to new interdisciplinary studies that investigate the interaction between arts and sciences. This could be attributed as well to the new exposition of Anatomy museum of Rīga Stradiņš University, that was opened to visitors in 2021. Museum galleries reveal the interplay between anatomists, artists and museum specialists, both in historical and contemporary contexts. Between the specimen jars and human bones, the anatomical drawings of both medical and art students are displayed. Sculpture-like life casts of congenital deformities made by anatomists contrast the ideal but skinless muscle man L’Ecorche Combattant. Historical artefacts interact with modern anatomical 3D illustration and multimedial solutions created by contemporary artists. No doubt, artists were and are important for visualising, explaining and displaying anatomy. But what about the role of anatomists in arts? This article aims to investigate an episode in the biography of long-time museum director anatomist and anthropologist professor Jēkabs Prīmanis (1892–1971) and his role in teaching the so-called plastic anatomy to the students of the Art Academy of Latvia.

Preface

Preface

Inger Dagmar Yvonne Wikström-Haugen (1944–2021), in memoriam

Inger Dagmar Yvonne Wikström-Haugen (1944–2021), in memoriam

The museum of the History of Medicine of Vilnius University

The museum of medicine of Vilnius university is one of the unique museums devoted to the issues of medicine in Lithuania. It was created out of the clinical practice by Vilnius university physicians. Early museum served as a curiosity cabinet as well as a teaching museum. After the closure of Vilnius university in the mid of 19th century the museum was destroyed by Tsar’s government. In the early 20th century museum was reestablished by the Polish government. The modern collections were added with craniological and osteological specimens as well as pathology exhibition. The contemporary museum was created in the last decade of 20th century. In the last period museum servers both academic and public interest. Museum includes interwar, soviet exhibits and collection of medical books.

Fulfilment of August Antonius Rauber’s long-time dream

In his educational work, August Antonius Rauber, professor of Anatomy of the University of Dorpat (nowadays the University of Tartu) paid great attention to improving students’ training. He expected the educational museum of anatomy to be of great help in this. He began arranging it immediately after his arrival in Tartu in 1886. Professor Rauber lectured in German, but the number of Russian students was increasing rapidly in that period. Their command of German was limited – therefore, illustration of lectures with models and original specimens was of great significance. The museum opened in 1890 and found great recognition because of the quality of its specimens, originality of models and general organisation. Part of the exhibits of the educational museum of anatomy have been preserved to the present, and they are displayed at the exhibition of the Medical Collections of the Faculty of Medicine and are used in everyday work of the Department of Anatomy.

From a private collection to a state museum: Pauls Stradiņš Museum of the History of Medicine

In 2021, Pauls Stradiņš Museum of the History of Medicine in Rīga (Latvia) will celebrate 60 years since it acquired the status of a state museum. This article describes the history of its creation, the work of the museum from 1961 to 2019, its basic functions and structures, the consequences of ideological deviations, and outlines the vision for the future development of the museum. On the one hand, the museum is based on the idea and collection of Doctor Pauls Stradiņš, an avid enthusiast, and his skill in keeping, supplementing, and improving his collection and legalising it as a state-run institution. However, no less important has been the attitude of the public and the authorities towards this institution, public support for P. Stradiņš’ idea. The relatively liberal attitude towards the initially private museum is explained by the fact that healthcare was declared one of the priorities of the Soviet Union, and the history of medicine was ideologically a relatively neutral field. In addition, the “national” moment was less emphasised in P. Stradiņš Museum – in the context of Latvia, the museum mainly showed folk medicine, fighting against epidemics, medicine in cities but did not highlight medical achievements during the years of Latvia’s independence. The paradigm of the museum has changed today. Aspects of medicine, as in natural and technological sciences, which are within the competence of social history, anthropology and cultural theory have come to the fore. The experience of the global pandemic has brought conflict and tension into and around health in public opinion. This calls for a review of the six decades of exhibition traditions and the dynamics of the relationship with the museum’s existing and potential audience, which has been cultivated for six decades.