Anatomical Collection of Domestic Animals: From 1871 into the digital age
After three years of dedicated work, Florian Trepp and his team have successfully catalogued and photographed approximately 2000 objects in the Anatomical Collection of Domestic Animals at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, led by Susanne Ulbrich. The collection, which includes some antique specimens, is now available to the public in the virtual world of the nahima (Natural History Collections Management digitally) database by the ETH Library.
How exactly is an animal body structured? Anatomical models and specimens help students and researchers to get a clear understanding of the structure of an animal body. For over 150 years, the Collection of Domestic Animals at ETH Zurich has been serving this purpose. The collection comprises approximately 2000 objects, some of them well over 100 years old, including three-dimensional models made of wax and papier-mâché, specimens preserved in formalin, bone preparations, whole body skeletons, rows of skulls and lecture posters, as well as agricultural and medical tools and instruments.
Free access worldwide
Detailed photographs show the didactic potential of the object. However, Florian Trepp also had animations and 3D models created of individual objects. Current instructional videos will continuously supplement the collection with practical aspects of anatomy. "With the publication of the collection, another part of ETH Zurich's cultural heritage is being made available to the public worldwide and free of charge," states Florian Trepp. As a lecturer at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences at ETH Zurich, he was responsible for the digitization using funds from the ETH Library to improve access to ETH Zurich's collections and archives. The collection can also be systematically searched on Nahima by animal species, organ or organ system, as well as by other criteria such as the material of the object or the manufacturer. "This is a huge advantage," exlains Trepp, "because different types of objects on a topic offer very different perspectives and didactic content".
A piece of ETH cultural heritage
The Anatomical Collection of Domestic Animals is used at ETH Zurich for the study programms of environmental systems sciences, biology and teacher trainings. It is also particularly suitable for students of veterinary medicine, human medicine and animal breeding, as well as for trainee farmers, butchers, animal keepers, assistant meat specialist and other professions with overlaps to farm animals and anatomy. "Since the Anatomical Collection of Domestic Animals illustrates and conveys basic knowledge about anatomy and physiology in a comprehensible way, it is also suitable for teaching at primary, secondary and tertiary levels, as well as for the interested public," adds Florian Trepp.
The Anatomical Collection of Domestic Animals has its origins in the agricultural teaching collection of 1871. It is still used as teaching material today and is on display in the atrium of the LFW building at ETH in the center of Zurich. Both the collection and the LFW building are listed in category A of the Federal Government's protection of cultural property.
Further information
Two projects are contributing to the further development of the Anatomical Collection of Domestic Animals.
Florentine – digital transformation of an anatomical model of a cow
In the "Florentine" project, supported by the Innovedum Fund of ETH Zurich, the individual parts of a collection object are recorded using a 3D scan, and both a virtual 3D puzzle and a physical copy of the object are created. The result is an innovative learning aid with a playful component for students that will be accessible in 2026.
Beekeeping objects supplement the collection
Thanks to a donation from a beekeeping museum, the Anatomical Collection of Domestic Animals will soon receive various objects and knowledge about bees and beekeeping. These will also be digitized in the future.
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Heart model to open (Image: Anatomical Collection of Domestic Animals, ETH Zurich) -
Metal syringe (Image: Anatomical Collection of Domestic Animals, ETH Zurich) -
Centrifuge (Image: Anatomical Collection of Domestic Animals, ETH Zurich) -
Bovine skull (Image: Anatomical Collection of Domestic Animals, ETH Zurich) -
Skull of a horse (Image: Anatomical Collection of Domestic Animals, ETH Zurich) -
Illustration of a cat embryo (detail) (Image: Anatomical Collection of Domestic Animals, ETH Zurich)
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