In 1785 Emperor Joseph II founded the medical-surgical Academy to educate physicians and midwives for civil and military service according to a new method of medical teaching.

Also the famous collection of anatomical and obstetrical wax models can be traced back to an initiative by Emperor Joseph II. These models were made under the supervision of the anatomist Paolo Mascagni in Florence between 1784 and 1788. After laborious transport, the 1,192 different wax specimens finally came to Vienna. Today the collection is housed in six rooms at the Josephinum.

Three of these rooms and the documentation on the more than 600 years of the history of the medical faculty of the University of Vienna, which is under development at the moment, can be visited during the opening hours. The other rooms, including the collection of obstetric waxworks, can be seen with a guided tour .

Josephinum

9., Währinger Straße 25
tel. 40 160-26 000
tram 37, 38, 40, 41, 42: Schwarzspanierstrasse resp. Sensengasse
www.meduniwien.ac.at/
josephinum/
Mon, Tue 9am-4pm, Thu-Sun and Pub. hols. 10am-6pm
Guided tour: Thu 11am
Guided tours on Wed by appointment:
E-mail: sammlungen@
meduniwien.ac.at