112

EUROPEAN MILITARY

latest equipment

in use by the army and what will be standard

MUSEUMS

for

some time to come is shown. Since the museum must cope with
the problem of security restrictions in this exhibit, a special army
committee inspects it to see if it is in order before the public is

permitted to view it.

Most of the military museums in Europe give little attention
to the contributions of their nation's military establishment to
the field of medicine. Some do have a few objects, such as ambu
lances, field medical kits, and surgical instruments, but seldom
are these integrated into a special exhibit. The Armemuseum took
the opportunity afforded by the 150th anniversary of the first
medical unit in the Swedish Army to prepare one of the largest

it has ever attempted. Its displays portray signifi

events in the history of Swedish military medicine and

special exhibits
cant

demonstrate thereby that military museums can effectively

present the valuable contributions the armed services make to
this vital field. The exhibit opened in October 1958.
The Armemuseum's concern with public interest is evident not

only in the attractiveness of its exhibits but also in other aspects

of its program. Its chief objective is sustained, not sporadic,
public interest. Hence, its special exhibitions follow one another
rather closely. There is an occasional motion picture shown in
one of the halls, but the museum is limited in what it can do with
this medium of instruction or with public lectures because it has
no auditorium. For a military museum it reaches an ultimate in
public entertainment by holding a concert the second and fourth
Sundays of each month. Usually a band provides this entertain
ment and features martial music in its program. This attraction
has increased somewhat the number of visitors. Guided tours are
also available

for the public, and the staff provides the usual

service in identifying objects or offering advice to amateur collec

tors. Other inquiries received from the general public are handled
rather

informally. Complex

questions

requiring

some

detailed

research number only 40 to 50 a year. Lectures by the staff are

normally given only to members of the army, army cadets, students
at the Artillery School, and other selected units who come to the
museum for lectures on special subjects and a tour. There are
usually

10

to

15

such tours a year.