Oltenia Museum - the Natural Science Department
Another interesting department of the Oltenia Museum, this impressive building is sadly little known, despite the fact that it's collections are rich and varied, being one of the few museums of Natural Science of this size, in this part of Europe. Some have even compared it to the Grigore Antipa Museum in Bucharest, which has been the inspiration for the museum. The idea of opening a Natural Science museum in Craiova, similar to the one in Bucharest, first appeared in 1922. That year, the "Craiova Scientific Circle" society was founded, to open such a museum. In 1923 the Museum of Natural History of Craiova was finally opened, although for a long time the space provided for it was cramped. In 1927 the Museum of Natural Science and the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography merged together, under the new name of Oltenia Museum, the two becoming it's first departments.
Most of the exhibits in the beginning were donated by the member of the Science Circle, and were presented to the audience in various shows, all very new and exciting at that time, when such a museum was a new, modern thing. After the war the number of collections continued to grow, and in the 1960's a modern exhibition was presented, with several dioramas, similar to the ones in the Antipa Museum of Bucharest. In 1974 this exhibition space had to be taken down, as the History Museum needed more space. The rich collection was moved several times in various buildings of the city, for lack of a better place, and only in 1986 a new exhibition building was finally found, on Popa Sapca Street, No 4, still in use today. Every year, visitors have a chance of admiring both the permanent exhibits and temporary, thematical exhibitions, of great importance for those who are interested.
2008-01-21
