The cultural heritage of the NKUA is very rich and extremely important. At its core, a particular category of museums began to emerge during the initial stages of the University's establishment. Their initial goal was to create collections of objects for teaching purposes. The history of the university museums begins just one year after the foundation of the University in 1837, with the establishment of the "Instrument Fund," which involved the apparatus for the laboratory teaching of surgery and science, physics and mathematics. This Fund later formed the core of the Museum of Natural Sciences and Technology collections. A few years later, the first University Museums were the Physiographic Museum (1858), the Botanical Museum (1871), the Anthropology Museum (1886), the Zoology Museum (1895), and the Museum of Mineralogy and Petrography (1908).
The University Museums continued to expand and enhance their collections throughout the 20th century. The Schools of Philosophy and Medicine house many of the more recent museums (Archaeology and History of Art, Education, Folklore, Pathological Anatomy, Pharmacology, Physiology "Georgios Kotzias," etc.). The Museum of History was founded on the occasion of the University's 150th anniversary. Today, the Museums of the University of Athens continue their educational mission, offering people the opportunity to familiarize themselves with collections unique in Greece and the world. The exciting path followed by each museum separately verifies the history of university education in Greece. The selected exhibits that you can find in them reflect the impressive diversity of the university collections and the scientific fields they serve, illuminating their history and modus operandi.
The University Museums continued to expand and enhance their collections throughout the 20th century. The Schools of Philosophy and Medicine house many of the more recent museums (Archaeology and History of Art, Education, Folklore, Pathological Anatomy, Pharmacology, Physiology "Georgios Kotzias," etc.). The Museum of History was founded on the occasion of the University's 150th anniversary. Today, the Museums of the University of Athens continue their educational mission, offering people the opportunity to familiarize themselves with collections unique in Greece and the world. The exciting path followed by each museum separately verifies the history of university education in Greece. The selected exhibits that you can find in them reflect the impressive diversity of the university collections and the scientific fields they serve, illuminating their history and modus operandi.
