FISH,
FOWL
AND ALL
IN BETWEEN
Natural history and curiosities from the Skara school collection
Visit the large exhibition hall and see hundreds of natural objects from the Skara school collection, i.e. objects from nature that have been collected and prepared for viewing and study. The collection also includes a variety of curiosities: rare, precious or curious objects from all corners of the world. In the exhibition you will experience animals and nature as the students would have, around 100 years ago. You may learn some of the history of the collection and collecting, and some about the collectors who gathered the items.
Skara’s History as a Centre of Learning and Skara School Collection
Skara has a very long history of education. As early as the 13th century, there was a priest training programme here, and there is much to suggest that various forms of education have been conducted here ever since. However, it was not until 1641 that the town got its first upper secondary school and was able to offer university preparatory studies. This attracted students from far and wide, and by the middle of the 18th century, students made up almost 50% of Skara’s population.
In Sweden, collecting got a boost during the Enlightenment in the 18th century, when natural science started to take off. As early as 1742, headmaster Sven Hof introduced the subject of natural history – something that impressed Carl von Linné. A natural history collection began to take shape. Although interest in natural science declined at the end of the 18th century, it returned strongly in the 19th century. The role of natural science in technological development gave old collections new significance.
During the time of curator Gustaf Kolthoff in the 1860s, the school collection expanded considerably. In 1939, the collection finally got its own premises, where it was displayed in specially built oak cabinets. We display Skara School’s natural history collection in these same cabinets today.
