Author: unknown
Date: 1764
Material: Wood, polychrome. Heraldic colours dominate: gold, blue
Technique: woodcut, polychromy
Dimensions, mm: 3650 x 1780
Restoration: The epitaph was restored in 1959–1962.
Epitaph of doctor Nikolai von Himsel (16.10.1729-10.11.1764).
Nikolaus von Himzelis studied at Riga Cathedral School, studied medicine in Germany. Inherited and added to the collection of science and art objects of his grandfather Nikolajs Martini (Martini, 1678-1741), a Riga city doctor and pharmacy owner. After the untimely death of Nikolaus von Himsel, his mother Katerina Kristine Himsel (Himsel, born Martini, ?–1773) undertook the supervision of the collection and exhibited it for public viewing, but bequeathed it as a gift to the city in her will. The collection became the basis for the decision of the town council to create the first public museum named after Nikolaus von Himzel.
The epitaph of Nikolaj Himzel is a composition typical of wooden epitaphs with a strictly defined two-part division: the coat of arms in the upper part, the inscription plate with the memorial text in the lower part.
The lower part is designed as a cartouche of a hand ornament. Text in Latin:
„Piis Manibue
Viri Generos. Nicolai de Himsel
Medic. Doct. Meritissimi
Reg. Societ. Scient. Lond. Sodal
Ultimi Stirpis Swae.
Monument.
Nat. Rig.d. XVI. Oct 1729. denat. D.X Nov. 1764.”
The Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation is the oldest public museum in Latvia and the Baltics, as well as one of the oldest in Europe. The museum is located in Old Riga, in the remarkable architectural monument of the 13th-20th century in the Riga Cathedral monastery ensemble.
The collection is based on the natural science and art collection of doctor, bibliophile and collector Nikolaus von Himsel (1729—1764). After the doctor’s death, his mother Katarina Kristina Himsel (nee Martini), fulfilling her son’s wish – to hand over his private collection of nature and art objects for the benefit of society for its education and scientific development, handed over the collection to the city of Riga. On February 22, 1773, Riga City Council established the public Himsel Museum – the first museum in the Baltics and one of the oldest in Europe.
Doctor Nikolaus von Himsel was buried in the Riga Cathedral and his epitaph can still be seen in the southern side of the Riga Cathedral.
Originally, the Himsel Museum was located on Kaleju Street. It was moved to the eastern wing of the Cathedral cloister in 1791. During the 19th century the collections of the Himsel Museum, the Society of History and Antiquities, the Society of Naturalists, the Literary and Practical Citizens’ Union and the Society of Practicing Doctors merged together. As the stone plaque at the entrance to the museum shows, since 1890, the collections have been located in the cathedrals cloister, in a building specially built for the purpose of the museum at Palasta Street 4,
which the Cathedral administration donated for the creation
of the museum.