Josephinum-Museum des Instituts für Geschichte der Medizin, Vienna

The Josephinum Museum is a true one of a kind place to visit. It was built in 1783, by a commission from the Emperor of the time, to be part of a medical teaching academy. In more recent times, the institution has been turned into a place to house the medical collection of the University of Vienna. The structure was designed by Isidore Canevale.

Joseph II had the place built as a school to teach physicians, nurses, and midwives how to care for people. One of the unique things about the place is the wax models that are housed here. They were originally used to teach anatomy to new students. Paolo Mascagni designed them. There are over 1100 different models to see, which are housed in six different display rooms.

Besides the main attraction, though, you can also find out a lot about the 600 year history of medicine in Austria, which has been so meticulously documented here over the years. You will need to take a guided tour to see the majority of the museum though. Only a few rooms are open to just browsing by the general public.