„[…] macht zugleich Experimente [und] zeigt auch Präparate vor“

Abstract This paper investigates the role of scientific objects in early modern academic teaching. From the 17th century onwards, objects have been important both for scientific practices and for instruction. This paper has two parts. It begins with a systematic investigation of the historical development of the use of objects in academic teaching. Practice-oriented academic disciplines like medicine, physics, and biology were the first to integrate a wide range of material objects into their teaching (e. g., taxidermy animals and measuring instruments). The architecture of lecture halls, as they are illustrated in historical etchings, reflects the increasing importance of objects for academic teaching. In these etchings, objects are placed prominently within the lecture area. The use of objects during lectures also had consequences on how teachers organized their lectures and how students arranged their notes. The second part of this paper illustrates this by looking at the use of objects within Rudolf Virchow’s exemplary lectures on pathology from both the teacher’s as well as the students’ perspectives.