Faculty of Medicine Anatomical Collection

The collection of the Institute of Anatomy comprises nearly 640 specimens, as well as models, numerous photographs, teaching charts, and examination instruments.

Through selected specimens from its extensive holdings, the permanent exhibition of the Institute of Anatomy offers a deep insight into the structure and function of the human body. In addition to the specimens, other teaching materials such as models and wall charts are also used for this purpose. The exhibition also presents, through various examples, different methods for the preparation of anatomical specimens.

The first records of the anatomical collections date back to 1805. Most of the collection objects were produced in the 19th century. The most recent exhibits were added from the 1960s onward. The main part of the collection is publicly displayed on the ground floor and first floor of the Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology; additional objects are housed in display cases in the institute’s two dissection rooms or kept in storage.

Today, the collection is no longer actively used in teaching. Instead, the exhibits provide insight into the scientific traditions of Heidelberg anatomy and illustrate changing conceptions of the human body. Current research focuses on the history of the emergence of individual objects, the genesis of the collection, and the concepts and representations of the body shown within it.