The muscle man and the wax Venus

Abstract

The Museum für Geschichte der Medizin (Medical History Museum) — or to be exact the collections of the Institut für Geschichte der Medizin der medizinischen Universität Wien (Medical History Institute of the Medical University of Vienna) — is housed in what is probably Vienna’s most beautiful functional building, the Josephinum. This palatial building, with its U-shaped cour d’honneur, was built by order of Emperor Joseph II, and is regarded as the main work of architect Isidore Canevale, who received a number of commissions in Vienna at that time. On November 7, 1785 Joseph II opened this facility, which was originally the Medizinisch-Chirurgische Militärakademie (Military Medico-Surgical Academy) or Josephs Akademie (Joseph’s Academy), a training centre for army doctors.