Museum Vrolik: Place For The Worlds Most Unusual Specimens
Vrolik Museum in Amsterdam is a small but fascinating museum. It is dedicated to the work of Willem and Jan Vrolik, two Dutch anatomists who lived in the 19th century. The brothers built up a large collection of specimens, which they donated to the University of Amsterdam after their deaths.
The collection includes both medical oddities and more mundane examples of human and animal anatomy, such as Siamese twins, skulls with horns and a skeleton with six fingers on each hand.
The museum also has a large number of anatomical models. Despite its small size, if you are interested in anatomy or history, you might like Museum Vrolik.
What is Museum Vrolik?
Museum Vrolik in Amsterdam is a unique museum that houses a large collection of anatomical specimens. The collection includes both human and animal specimens, displayed in various forms.
The museum is named after Willem Vrolik, the Dutch anatomist who assembled most of the specimens in the collection.
Today, the Vrolik Museum is recognized as one of the world’s leading anatomical museums. The museum continues to attract visitors from all over the world to see its extraordinary collection of anatomical specimens.
History of the Vrolik Museum
Two Dutch anatomists, brothers Gerardus Vrolik and Willem Vrolik, started their collection in the early 1800s and over the years it has grown to include more than 10,000 items.
In 1851, the brothers donated their collection to the University of Amsterdam and it was housed in a special museum built for the purpose.
The Vrolik Museum was one of the first museums in the world dedicated exclusively to anatomy and quickly became a popular destination for medical students and researchers from all over the world.
The museum remained at the University of Amsterdam until it closed its doors in 2010. After undergoing a major renovation, it reopened to the public in 2014 and today it is once again a leading center for anatomical research.
Collection of the Vrolik Museum
The Vrolik Museum was founded in 1839 by two anatomists, Willem and Gerard Vrolik, and contains thousands of anatomical specimens, many of which are deformed or malformed.
The collection includes Siamese twins, a man with two faces, babies with hydrocephalus, a girl with an extra arm growing out of her back and many skeletons. Vroliks collected these specimens for scientific study and the museum is now a popular destination for those interested in medical oddities.
How to visit Museum Vrolik?
Museum Vrolik in Amsterdam is very easy to visit. There is metro transportation very close to it. You can take bus number 54 from Amsterdam Central Station to Amsterdam Holendrecht stop and take a short walk to the museum. In total, you can reach the museum in 25 minutes.
The Vrolik Museum in Amsterdam is an interesting place to visit for those interested in the history of medicine or the human body. Once inside, make sure to check out all the incredible exhibits the museum has to offer. It’s definitely not for everyone, but if you can stomach it, it’s definitely worth a visit.
