Herczer Palace - Entomological Museum

Way back when on September 18th, I visited the Entomological Museum that is located in the Herczer Palace. While browsing through my pictures I realized that I had forgotten to do a Blog post on it so here it is.

The Herczer Palace was built in 1791. Through the postal business the family was able to make their fortune and buy their way into nobility. Today the Palace is home to the Entomological Museum. It is the only museum of natural sciences in north-western Croatia and the only Entomology Museum in Croatia.

Herczer Palace

The Entomological Department became apart of the Varaždin Municipal Museum in 1954. Franjo Koščec's entomological collection makes up the majority of the Department's holdings and is the most valuable collections of its kind in the country.

Franjo Koščec (1882-1968) was appointed as Teacher Governor at the Royal Grammar School in Varaždin in 1909. He remained in that position until his death, teaching generations of students, studying and collecting plants and insects. Franjo Koščec founded the Museum and later (1959)donated his large natural scientific collections to the City of Varaždin. His work was continued by his daughter Ruzica Koščec , a biology professor, from 1962 to 1980.

The Museum's collections contain several tens of thousands of plant and insect specimens.

Since 1903, about 50,000 specimens of insects have been collected and made in the proper manner. They are classified according to genesis and families of the insect. There are also several models of the specimens to give a clear picture about the insects and their behaviour.

Part of the Museum is dedicated to displaying the life and works of Franjo Koščec. The other part displays thousands of specimens, much of which are Franjo Koščec's.

The Museum was beautifully laid and out and quite fascinating.

Models of different plants, crafted by Franjo Koščec. When teaching he used several models and diagrams he created himself to better explain.

A device that Franjo Koščec designed and created for field work and preserving insects.

Hand made and designed equipment for fieldwork and the preservation process.

Franjo Koščec's coloured pencil drawings of Orchid's.

A model of a Epiphytic Orchid by Franjo Koščec. Made from wood, tin, wire and paint.

The following are pictures from the displays of insect and plant specimens:

One of the display rooms.

Butterflies. There were lots of drawers you could pull out to reveal more specimens. There was a never ending supply of insects.

Dragonflies.

Butterflies.

Display cases.

Butterfly and plant display case.

Models by Franjo Koščec.

Insect Model.

Hundreds of preserved bugs. All categorized and labeled. On some pins there are three to four tiny insects. Preserved moths.

Models of insects habitats.

Pressed plant specimens.

Due to a lack of money for proper wooden boxes for storing materials, Franjo Koščec kept insect and plant specimens in whatever he could find. He was a chain smoker so he often used empty cigarette, tobacco and match boxes.