The Blaschka models of the Humboldt University of Berlin and their historical context

Abstract

The Humboldt University of Berlin has a collection of Blaschka models which came from the teaching collection of the Zoological Institute and the former exhibition of the Museum of Natural History. Besides those from the Blaschkas other models from model makers like Adolf and Friedrich Ziegler in Freiburg, Rudolf Weisker and Paul Loth in Leipzig, Paul Osterloh, Marcus Sommer, and others were used for teaching purposes in the Zoological Institute. They were created in close cooperation between scientists, craftsmen, and artists and tell us about anatomical and zoological research of their time. The origin, history and application of different types of models are explained and compared.

Keywords:

• Osterloh
• Weisker
• Loth
• Ziegler

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Henri Reiling for help in my questions on the Blaschkas and for reference to the memoranda of Weisker in the archive of the university of Utrecht. Dr. Detlef Bernhard, Institute of Biology of the university of Leipzig, made available Osterloh's gelatine model. I thank Dr. Jason Dunlop and especially Andreas Kratky, both Berlin, for looking over my English paper. Vera Heinrich, Museum of Natural History Berlin, took the photos of most of the models.