Josephinum

The Josephinum Museum of Medical History in Vienna’s 9th district houses a world-famous collection and is situated in a splendid, heritage-listed Classicism edifice.

After nearly four years of repairs, the Josephinum reopened in September 2022. Following the restoration, the museum in Vienna-Alsergrund, which houses the collections of the Medical University of Vienna, now has roughly 1,000 square meters of exhibition space.The heritage-listed Classicism era treasure was thoroughly renovated and reinstated to its former condition. The semicircular, nine-meter-high historic auditorium is a particular attraction. The fake ceiling from the 1940s was removed, revealing the original frescoes. The building’s forecourt and entrance were also remodeled.

The Josephinum, was established in 1785, holds one of the world’s most notable medical history collections. The world-famous anatomical wax models commissioned and acquired by Emperor Joseph II in Florence are a key element.The valuable pieces were once painstakingly transferred to Vienna, where they are currently displayed in seven rooms in antique display cases made of rosewood and Venetian glass.

There are also various more important medical history artefacts on display, including as equipment, paintings, books, archives, manuscripts, and bequests. The collection’s display and storage cabinets house around 2,500 artifacts.The world’s first endoscope (1806), the collection of surgical tools of Giovanni Alessandro Brambilla, the emperor’s personal physician and the museum’s first director, and the famed Gall’s skull are among the most well-known display objects. The collection also includes Sigmund Freud’s handwritten curriculum vitae and the needle file with which Empress Elisabeth was assassinated in Geneva in 1898.

Several relics are being shown for the first time since the museum’s reopening.The Josephinum also contains a massive library, which was founded in 1786.