The Horst-Stoeckel Museum now offers free virtual access to more than 150 years of the history of anesthesia documented in early excerpts from related areas. Its collection of far more than 850 exhibits is one of the most comprehensive collections in Continental Europe. The museum, one of four of its kind worldwide, exhibited its collection in 45 display cases since opening in Venusberg in 2000. The museum presents the entire early period of the medical discipline of anesthesia.??
The collection includes materials and artifacts for anesthesia, emergency medicine, intensive care medicine and pain management, along with devices, equipment and, last but not least, a book and newspaper collection consisting of more than 10,000 volumes. The exhibits and information show the development of anesthesia procedures, from the open drop method to modern general anesthesia. They include, for example, the Berlin Schimmelbusch mask from 1890 for open drop ether anesthesia and an iron lung from 1952. A complete operating theater from 1930 illustrates the invention of airway intubation. A special exhibition shows the results of a 20-year research program by the Chair for Anesthesiology at the University of Bonn under the leadership of Professor Stoeckel: the patient's brain waves control the amount of anesthetic given, depending on the desired depth of anesthesia, using an algorithm-controlled pump. The method was developed for both volatile and intravenous anesthesia and reliability was demonstrated research participants.??
Virtual tour through the physical exhibits ??
The collection of exhibits has been fully digitalized. A virtual tour (insert link to the virtual tour) mirrors the Horst-Stoeckel Museum exactly, so that the organization of the exhibits showing the progress in different lines of development of patient care is preserved and made accessible to visitors. In addition to presenting the anesthesia procedures chronologically with milestones highlighted, they are also compared with each other, so that the progress of each new procedure for patient safety is presented in detail. The physical exhibits have been stored safely with the help of the university archivist, Dr. Thomas Becker. The Horst-Stoeckel museum library will be integrated into the library of the Institute for Medical Humanities and remain available for research worldwide through the Bonn University and State Library.??
Museum preserved by digitalization?
“Our museum digitalization project is aimed at using new, innovative methods to make this unique collection available to the broad public. The Faculty of Medicine is also looking for a new physical display space”, stated Dean Bernd Weber. “In the long run, we want to present the collection to the public in a physical venue again. We felt it was important to preserve direct access to this life's work of Professor Stoeckel and digitalization helped us achieve this. We want to follow both paths in the future. Ideally, visitors who have viewed the digital exhibition should also be able to experience the physical exhibits on site. We are grateful to Professor Stoeckel for his help in making this project possible.”??
The founder and head of the museum, Professor Stoeckel, is pleased that “creating the virtual museum allows my collection to be preserved in a unique way, including for the many visitors from around the world who continue to contact me. I would like to thank Dean Weber and his team, Dr. Worst, Mr. Lannert and Mr. Lentfer, for this solution.” ??
Virtual world for visitors worldwide ?
Photographer Volker Lannert: “Converting the Stoeckel museum into a virtual world, including design, main concept and exhibits, was a wonderful project. I want to thank Professor Stoeckel and Professor Weber for allowing me to realize this project together with film producer Ole Lentfer. We would also be happy to create more virtual tours. The physical world of museums is simply made accessible to far more potential visitors in this way.” ??
The former nurses' residence is now ready for another conversion. The contact points for students of the medical faculty will be brought together here, along with the new Institute for Medical Education. ??
Contact person:??
Dr. Philipp Worst,
Dean's Office of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Bonn,?
Venusberg-Campus 1, Building 33, 53127 Bonn ?
Email: philipp.worst@ukbonn.de
Tel.: +49 (0)170-3750832