MEDICAL USE OF AMBER AS A SUBJECT OF EXHIBITION AND EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AT PALANGA AMBER MUSEUM
Regina Makauskienė
Palanga Amber Museum, Lithuania
The Amber Museum in Palanga was established on August 3, 1963 in Tyszkiewicz Palace constructed in 1897 by the project of a German architect Franz Heinrich Schwechten (1841–1924).
The Museum houses over 30,000 exhibits, among which is the collection of amber inclusions comprising of approximately 15,000 samples. For the history of Lithuania of special significance is the collection of archaeological amber, whose oldest finds, dating back to the Stone Age, give evidence of the culture of our ancestors and its strong bonds with amber.
The Palanga Amber Museum is one of the most visited museums in Lithuania – approximately eight million eight hundred thousand citizens of Lithuania and foreign guests has visited it in the past 50 years. This has been the result of a purposeful development of a unique museum as a centre of amber collection, research and popularization. In April 2015, the project "Restoration of the representational Palace of the Palanga Amber Museum and its use for the needs of the present-day cultural tourism" was completely implemented. Owing to the project, the building infrastructure was totally renovated, and also a modern terminal for servicing visitors was established; as well as this, a centre for cultural meetings and educational activities for both children and adults was opened.
Six displays dedicated to amber have been established at the Palanga Amber Museum in the past 50 years. The latest renewal was made in 2015 when a new show of amber (approximately six thousand items) was opened and the historical interiors of the aristocratic residence were reconstructed.
The subject of medicinal properties of amber is very popular, that is why it is shown in the new exhibition. Old vessels from the chemist's shop with different medications which were popular in old times are on display. The Lithuanians believe that amber can cure you of a spell and it is especially useful for young children – on display you can see baby's dummies from amber, beads for both children and adults. Today, the curative properties of amber are studied and applied, especially in medicine and cosmetics. Medical professionals and pharmacologists are actively researching the properties of amber acid which helps the organism to uptake oxygen. Biologically-active preparations containing amber are rapidly spreading not only in Lithuania but also in Europe on the whole, as well as on the markets of other continents.
Those Museum visitors who are involved in the educational activities enjoy the programme “Popular Medicine and Amber”. Relying on historical evidence, the participants are told about medicines made from amber. Visitors are also trained to make cosmetic products for facial treatment.
The programme “Amber in Faith” deals with such issues as why amber was put to tombs, and what the religious meaning of the action is. The sense of ornaments of old amber articles is considered.
On the programme “Properties of Amber”, the audience learns about chemical and physiological properties of amber, they are trained to see the mineral's distinguishing features.
Amber is not only used for making jewellery and souvenirs. While familiarizing with the use of amber in industry and cosmetics, the course attendees learn what amber products are manufactured in Lithuania.