Historical Instrument Collection
The University owns a historical collection of around 900 physical, astronomical and geoscientific instruments and apparatus dating from the 18th to the 20th century. Essentially, the collection represents a 19th-century teaching collection for experimental physics. The academic work involved ranges from inventorying, historical research and cataloguing to the conception and organisation of exhibitions. This work has been regularly incorporated into the curriculum in the form of project-based seminars. The electronic inventory forms part of the University Archives’ digital catalogue; an online presentation is planned.
The Historical Instrument Collection has its origins in a collection of teaching aids established in the 19th century as part of the Physics Cabinet of what was then the Regensburg Lyceum. The core of the collection was formed by the Physics Cabinet of St Emmeram’s Monastery in Regensburg, containing items dating back as far as the 18th century. The Lyceum was a school situated between a grammar school and a university.
The curator of the collection is Prof. Dr Omar W. Nasim. Guided tours of the storage facilities are available on request.