- Following 222
- Followers 15.5K
- Engagement 0.48%
- Avg likes 68
- Avg comments 1
About Museum Vrolik
Museum Vrolik (@museumvrolik) is a Healthcare creator on Instagram. The account has 15,519 followers and 569 published posts. Recent posts average 68 likes and 1 comment, an engagement rate of 0.48%.
With 15.5K followers, Museum Vrolik is a micro creator by the common 10,000 to 100,000 definition. Set against 222 accounts followed, the audience works out to about 70 followers per account Museum Vrolik follows. Museum Vrolik is set up as an Instagram business account. Flinque files Museum Vrolik under a single category, Healthcare.
The Instagram bio for Museum Vrolik runs to 19 words. The bio mentions @amsterdamumc. The latest activity Flinque has on record for Museum Vrolik dates from May 2026.
Story Highlights
Unlocking shows the title and cover image of every story highlight this creator keeps pinned to the profile.
569 Posts
Of the 10 most recent posts shown for Museum Vrolik, 7 are carousels and 3 are single images. That mix leans toward carousels. Museum Vrolik has built a substantial archive of 569 posts. Against the audience, that is roughly 27 followers for each post published. Museum Vrolik also keeps 11 story highlights on the profile. All 10 carry captions, averaging 210 words each. The captions are written mainly in English. Words that recur across them include collection, remains, human, were and photo. The captions tag #museumvrolik, #imagine, #anatomymuseum, #colonial and #collection.
Museum Vrolikâs collection includes two skulls of men of Bengali descent who lived in Batavia (Jakarta, Indonesia). We know the name of one of them: Gerie â he died in one of Bataviaâs hospitals. Gerie may have been part of the âBengali Lancersâ, originally around 100 Bengali cavalrymen served in the Dutch East Indies Army in 1817. These cavalrymen fought in the Java War ). The second skull may also have belonged to a lancer. This skull was sent by the head of the military medical service in the Dutch East Indies.
Photo: Bengali lancer on horseback in full dress uniform, made by Joannes Adriaanszoon around 1823, collection National Military Museum.
#imagine #museumvrolik #anatomymuseum #colonial #collection
Stand 42: Sawek
The 1903 Dutch North New Guinea expedition was organized to explore the north coast of New Guinea. The expeditionâs medical officer, Gijsbert van der Sande, collected over 900 ethnographic objects in exchange for tobacco, beads, knives, and axes. Likely, he also collected human remains. A year after the expedition, the anatomist Bolk registered five skulls from New Guinea in the museum catalog. However, only two entries include specific place names âAmboebakenâ and âZoĂ«kâ. Amboebaken is the Amberbaken district on Vogelkop. ZoĂ«k is Sawek on Supiori Island. The Papuan community in the Netherlands helped determine the latter name. Indeed, both places were visited by the 1903 expedition.
đ·Photo 1: Map of Van der Sande during the expedition (1907).
đžPhoto 2: This photograph was taken during the 1903 expedition to North New Guinea by Van der Sande, Wereldmuseum.
#imagine #museumvrolik #anatomymuseum #colonial #collection
Stand 6: Skull looted from the Temple of the Sun
Around 1840, Willem Vrolik received a Peruvian skull from the Amsterdam physician A.W.F. Herckenrath (1794â1869). The skull had been stolen from the tombs of the Sun Temple Coricancha in Cusco, Peru. Herckenrath had received the skull from the American zoologist John Edwards Holbrook (1796â1871) from Charleston, South Carolina. Herckenrathâs younger brother Leon probably played a role. Leon Herckenrath was a businessman and politician who was also living in Charleston at the time and moved in the same circles as Holbrook. Holbrook received the skull from his old college friend, the notorious American skull collector and racist Samuel George Morton (1799â1851) from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
đ·Photo 1: This image shows part of the Sun Temple Coricancha in Cusco, Peru, once one of the most sacred sites within Inca culture. The Santo Domingo monastery, as seen here, was built in the 17th century by Spanish colonialists on the walls of the temple.
đžPhoto 2: John Edwards Holbrook by Daniel Huntington )
#imagine #museumvrolik #anatomymuseum #colonial #collection
The preservation and display of human remains in museums remains a deeply sensitive and painful issue, especially for descendant communities from former colonies. Museums that care for these collections, such as Museum Vrolik, carry a responsibility to confront their colonial and racist histories, through research, transparency, and dialogue.
What might the future look like if all human remains were finally laid to rest?
Perhaps only empty display cases would remain, powerful reminders of a past shaped by colonial collecting practices. These spaces would not be empty of meaning, but filled with stories, accountability, and reflection. Through careful research and storytelling, we aim to move beyond objectification and restore humanity to those whose remains were once reduced to scientific specimens.
This is the starting point of the exhibition 'Imagine â the future of human remains of colonial contexts in Museum Vrolik'
The upcoming weeks we will share these stories with you via our social media channels.
#museumvrolik#museum#history#justice#anatomy
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In the time of Vrolik, cholera was a recurring and deadly threat in the Netherlands. At the time, the cause and transmission of the disease were poorly understood, allowing it to spread quickly, especially in crowded cities with inadequate sanitation.
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The first major cholera outbreak in the Netherlands began in July 1832, when a ship from England arrived in Scheveningen carrying infected passengers. The disease spread rapidly, resulting in around 5,000 deaths. This was only the beginning: major outbreaks followed in 1848â1849 and again in 1859. In response, the Dutch government established special hospitals and health commissions to control the disease.
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A turning point came in 1854, when British physician John Snow demonstrated that cholera was transmitted through contaminated drinking water. His discovery laid the groundwork for public health reforms, leading to significant improvements in sanitation, water supply, and sewage infrastructure. Despite these advances, the most devastating outbreak in the Netherlands occurred in 1866, claiming approximately 21,000 lives, particularly in densely populated cities like Amsterdam.
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Choleraâs impact on Dutch society was so profound that it even influenced the language. The curse "Krijg de klere!"âstill heard todayâderives from "kolere," the Dutch word for cholera, a reflection of the fear and suffering the disease once provoked.
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Cholera remains a serious public health threat in parts of Africa, South Asia, and regions affected by natural disasters or conflict, when access to clean water and sanitation is limited.
#museumvrolik #medical #history #cholera #epidemic
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The Vrolik Cabinet represents the ideas of both father and son Vrolik. They shared a belief in the body's harmonious functioning as a singular entity. As a close friend to the founder of Artis Zoo (1838), Willem Vrolik had the opportunity to feed his interest in animal anatomy. Unfortunately, in the 19th century, zoos often didn't know how to take care of exotic animals.
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The Vroliks' worldview depicted the animal kingdom as an immutable hierarchy that was illustrated as a long chain from the least to the most perfect creatures. At the bottom were animals like jellyfish and worms. At the top were mammals. Towering over them all, they placed man himself. Willem Vrolik tried to determine the exact position of various animals in this hierarchy. Comparative anatomy helped him find the differences and similarities between the anatomical structures.
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Living during the era of Charles Darwin's groundbreaking work On the Origin of Species in 1859, Willem Vrolik remained steadfast in rejecting the concept of evolution. His comparative studies served as an argument against Darwin's theory, as he contended that the notion of one species evolving from another was more fantastic than grounded in empirical observation. Vrolik acknowledged that men might look like apes, but that did not mean they descended from them. Willem's death in 1863 coincided almost exactly with the extinction of his perspective on science in the Netherlands.
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Photo's:
1. Kidney of a ursus maritimus, Coll. Vrolik
2. Vrolik Cabinet, credit:
#museumvrolik #comparative #anatomy #animal #animals
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The specimen shown here comes from the 18th century collection of Hovius. According to the catalogue by Andreas Bonn, the description reads: âSacrum and full vertebral column of an adult. When placing the vertebrae on top of each other, it becomes clear that a significant right-convex curvature of the vertebral column must have existed. Due to severe arthritis, the ninth and tenth thoracic vertebrae have fused together.â
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Scoliosis has always existed, and over time, a wide range of treatments have been developed. One of the earliest ideas, is said, comes from ancient Greece: the Hippocratic ladder. Patients were strapped to a ladder and subjected to a procedure known as âsuccussion,â which involved shaking the patient to straighten the spine.
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By the 18th century, during the time of Hovius, corsets were already being used to support the spine. In 1835, the first corset incorporating a mechanically adjustable brace was introduced. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, treatment approaches often combined multiple methods, such as strengthening exercises, casting, bracing, traction, suspension, postural correction, and, in some cases, surgery. Today, physical therapy, bracing, and surgery remain common treatments.
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Photo credit:
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The gallbladder stores bile, a fluid made by the liver that helps break down fats during digestion. When you eat a fatty meal, the gallbladder contracts and sends bile through a small tube (the bile duct) into the small intestine. There, bile salts act like dish soap, breaking down fats so they can mix with water and be absorbed.
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Sometimes bile can form stones, which can cause pain, inflammation, and even lead to pancreatitis. In the late 18th century and early 19th century, doctors tried to treat this by cutting open the gallbladder, removing the stones, and draining the fluid. But they didnât remove the organ itself, they feared it would kill the patient. These treatments often gave only short-term relief, and patients were left with ongoing problems.
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Interestingly, as early as the 1600s, two Italian doctors had shown that animals could survive without a gallbladder, but that knowledge was forgotten for centuries. It wasnât until 1882 that German surgeon Carl Langenbuch changed everything. Tired of seeing his patients suffer, he decided to try removing the gallbladder entirely. After practicing on a cadaver, he successfully performed the first gallbladder removal surgery (called a cholecystectomy) on a man who had suffered from gallstones for 16 years, and the manâs pain disappeared overnight.
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Today, gallbladder removal is a common procedure, often done using minimally invasive tools through laparoscopy. When the gallbladder is removed, this function is taken over by the liver and bile ducts.
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Photo: Gallstone, Museum Vrolik Collection
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Ankylosis (from the Greek áŒÎłÎșÏλοÏ, meaning "bent" or "crooked") refers to joint stiffness caused by abnormal rigidity of the bones, often resulting from injury or disease. In this case, physicians believed arthritisâan inflammation of the jointsâwas the cause. However, they also speculate that tuberculosis may have triggered the inflammation, a common occurrence in the 18th century.
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While tuberculosis (TB) is commonly known as a lung infection, many donât realize that the bacteria can spread to other parts of the body, including the joints. Once contracted, TB can travel through the bloodstream from the lungs or lymph nodes into the bones, spine, or joints.
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During the 18th century in Western Europe, TB was an epidemic, with mortality rates as high as 900 deaths per 100,000 people per year, mostly affecting young people. This earned TB the grim nickname âthe robber of youth.â With the rise of industrialisation, it spread fast due to overcrowded housing, poor ventilation, poor sanitation, malnutrition, and harsh working conditions. While today TB is curable with antibiotics, it remains one of the deadliest diseases worldwide.
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đž Photo:, Hovius-Bonn Collection (18th century)
#anatomy #museum #hovius #museumvrolik #medical
Thumbnails are unavailable for 10 of these 10 posts. Open a tile to view the post on Instagram.
Museum Vrolik's engagement
Museum Vrolik's engagement rate on Instagram is 0.48%, under 1%, fewer than 1 like or comment per 100 followers. On a typical post that comes to about 1 like or comment for every 208 followers. Likes outnumber comments by roughly 68 to 1, with 68 likes and 1 comment on an average post, so most reactions are taps rather than replies.
Engagement rate
0.48%
- Avg likes
- 68
- Avg comments
- 1
- Interactions : followers
- 1 : 208
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These answers about Museum Vrolik are generated from the Instagram profile data Flinque holds for the account.
Who is Museum Vrolik?
Museum Vrolik (@museumvrolik) is a Healthcare creator on Instagram. Museum Vrolik is set up as an Instagram business account. The Instagram bio for Museum Vrolik runs to 19 words.
How many followers does Museum Vrolik have?
Museum Vrolik has 15,519 followers on Instagram (15.5K). Set against 222 accounts followed, the audience works out to about 70 followers per account Museum Vrolik follows. Museum Vrolik has built a substantial archive of 569 posts.
What is Museum Vrolik's engagement rate?
Museum Vrolik's engagement rate on Instagram is 0.48%, under 1%, fewer than 1 like or comment per 100 followers. On a typical post that comes to about 1 like or comment for every 208 followers. Likes outnumber comments by roughly 68 to 1, with 68 likes and 1 comment on an average post, so most reactions are taps rather than replies.
What does Museum Vrolik post about on Instagram?
Flinque files Museum Vrolik under a single category, Healthcare. Of the 10 most recent posts shown for Museum Vrolik, 7 are carousels and 3 are single images. The 10 recent Instagram captions Flinque holds for Museum Vrolik repeatedly use the words collection, remains, human, were and photo. Museum Vrolik's captions carry hashtags such as #museumvrolik, #imagine and #anatomymuseum. Museum Vrolik writes those captions mainly in English. Museum Vrolik keeps 11 story highlights, which open with a free Flinque account.
How do I contact Museum Vrolik for a collaboration?
Museum Vrolik's contact details are not published on Flinque's public profile. The Instagram bio links to 1 external site, and a free Flinque account opens that link. The account is registered as an Instagram business account. Brands with a free Flinque account can shortlist Museum Vrolik and use Flinque's outreach tools wherever a contact route is on file.
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Public profile data sourced from Instagram. Flinque is not affiliated with Museum Vrolik.