Die Meckelschen Sammlungen

The Meckel collections at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg are among the largest anatomical teaching and research collections in Germany, with over 8,000 specimens. They were established in the mid-18th century under Johann Friedrich Meckel the Elder (1724-1774) in Berlin. Philipp Friedrich Theodor Meckel (1755-1803), who was appointed to Halle in 1777 and arrived there in 1779, along with his son Johann Friedrich Meckel the Younger (1781-1833), expanded them into a vast arsenal. In 1836, the private collections were acquired by the University of Halle through a sale. Unfortunately, due to relocations from the Halle Riesenhaus, the Meckel residence, many valuable specimens were lost, causing the collection to shrink significantly from about 12,000, possibly 16,000 specimens. Subsequent anatomists made every effort to preserve the most valuable specimens.