Fulfilment of August Antonius Rauber’s long-time dream

Abstract

In his educational work, August Antonius Rauber, professor of Anatomy of the University of Dorpat (nowadays the University of Tartu) paid great attention to improving students’ training. He expected the educational museum of anatomy to be of great help in this. He began arranging it immediately after his arrival in Tartu in 1886. Professor Rauber lectured in German, but the number of Russian students was increasing rapidly in that period. Their command of German was limited – therefore, illustration of lectures with models and original specimens was of great significance. The museum opened in 1890 and found great recognition because of the quality of its specimens, originality of models and general organisation. Part of the exhibits of the educational museum of anatomy have been preserved to the present, and they are displayed at the exhibition of the Medical Collections of the Faculty of Medicine and are used in everyday work of the Department of Anatomy.