Historic collections

The pharmaceutical objects' collection

The historic equipment of the institute's research laboratories and the educational pharmacy formed the basis of this collection. In 1977 it was greatly enlarged by instruments and pharmaceutical utensils, pharmacopoeias, books and journals of the former Imperial Pharmacy. The majority of these objects dates from the 19th century, though various pharmaceutical jars and pharmacopoeias are older and even go back to the 17th century. The Imperial Pharmacy was finally closed in 1991 and all articles of historic interest could be incorporated into our collection. 

Some devices are rarely found such as the huge plant presses or the impressive distilling apparatus for the large-scale production of medicinal liquors. The pharmaceutical objects of the Imperial Pharmacy now belonging to our collection do not represent all items of the Imperial Pharmacy's historic inventory. Some parts of the historic equipment were handed over to the Technical Museum in Vienna (Technisches Museum Wien) before World War II, where they are still kept.
Apart from the Imperial Pharmacy there were also other institutions which contributed to our collection. In 1978 the governmental drug research laboratory donated several instruments and devices, and in 1993 various utensils of daily pharmaceutical practice belonging to the pharmacy of the General Hospital in Vienna came into our possession. Furthermore, even private persons generously donated various very interesting pieces in the past.

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