Antiquity Collections
Archaeological Museum Innsbruck
Collection of casts and originals of the University of Innsbruck
Founded in 1869, the Archaeological Museum Innsbruck - Collection of casts and originals of the University of Innsbruck, with its combination of casts, copies and originals with now over 1.000 objects, represents the largest collection of classical antiquities in western Austria and occupies a special position within the Tyrolean museum landscape. The museum offers an almost complete overview of the development of Greek and Roman art and cultural history.
Since the 1920s, part of the collection has been listed as a historical monument in the main building of the University on the Innrain. The ongoing shortage of space in the museum was finally solved by the relocation of the university's archaeological, philological and historical institutes as the ATRIUM Centre for Ancient Cultures to the Langer Weg in March 2008. This not only offers an ideal research infrastructure, it has also been possible to create a second representative museum location in a unique ambience, where the contrast between the antique objects and modern open architecture is particularly attractive.
While most of the ancient Greek and Roman sculpture remained in the central hall of the main building of the University on the Innrain, the objects moved from the other locations to the ATRIUM. Other antique large sculptural statues, casts of reliefs and finds from the Roman provinces with the emphasis on Roman Austria, the collection of Greek and Roman portraits and the collection of Latin inscriptions form the core of the second site. The extensive collection of small sculptures, as well as replicas of antique ceramics and glasses are also presented here.
Due to the partial repositioning of the museum, it is possible to show objects from the prehistoric and early history of Tyrol, the Near East and the Middle Ages, which were previously used purely as teaching collections, in public as well. This has created an attractive and enriching extension beyond the purely specialist boundaries to all other institutes and departments. The museum thus forms a decisive point of identification as a bracket and interface and represents a central integrative factor for all subjects located in the ATRIUM Centre for Ancient Cultures, since all are represented with objects in the collection.
In recent years, the collection has been visited by several thousand visitors there as part of guided tours, major events and educational programmes for children and young people, thus more than fulfilling its function as a link between the university and the public. The guided tours introduce the collection and provide an insight into Greek and Roman art and cultural history.
Unfortunately, the regular opening hours had to be discontinued in April 2017. However, the collection can be viewed by appointment.
Contact for visits:
assoz.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Florian M. Müller Bakk.
Department of Archaeology
University of Innsbruck - Center for Ancient Cultures
Tel.: + 43 (0)512/507-37568
E-Mail: Florian.M.Mueller@uibk.ac.at
Room of Scripture
The largest collection of urban Roman Inscriptions in Austria
Contact for visits:
Secretariat of the Department of Ancient History and Ancient Oriental Studies
Secretariat of the Department for Language and Literature - Greek and Latin Studies