Richard Wunsch (1869-1911) was a German doctor invited to Korea by the Korean Empire to serve the royal family. Dr. Wunsch brought along with him diverse surgical instruments including pincers, scissors, scalpels, and needles in a wooden box. They were donated in a well-preserved state to the museum by Wunsch’s granddaughter on November 25, 2004.
Dr. Wunsch served as a bridge between the country’s traditional medicine and modern Western medical science, so these items are valuable materials for those studying the medical history of Korea in the early modern period. He served as physician to Emperor Gojong between November 1901 and May 1905, and brought Germany’s highly advanced medical skills to Korea. He was the first medical doctor officially invited by the Korean Empire to serve as physician to the royal family, as his predecessors were all originally dispatched to Korea as Christian missionaries.