[Naturalists, collectors and theoreticians of museology]

The origins of the contemporary collectorship dates from times when the sameness of art and science was commonly accepted. In those days relics of the ancient past and natural individuals of newly discovered lands were presented at the same time. Cosmological character of the collections manifested the tenacity of recognition and representation of the surrounding reality. A great impact on completion of collections of curiosities in Europe had Netherlands, and in the basin of Baltic Sea a remarkable significance was gained by Hanseatic Gdańsk. Collections of Jakub Breyn, Jakub Klein and Gotfryd Reyger became famous then. In the same way were imported individuals for Anna Jabłonowska that composed one of the most interesting European collections. In course of time merging such a great multiplicity of collections was beyond collectors' power and museum pieces from collections of curiosities were parcelled out. It was a real beginning of specialistic museums. A role of museum for science results from its function of methodical organizing collections that can be used by research workers. However, although the aims of scientific and museum centres are different, they come together on the occasion of museum recognition works when museums' workers borrow essential knowledge and methods from resources of science, and scientists search for useful research materials in museum resources.