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Introduction: History, relevance and development of veterinary pathological collections are presented by analyzing and comparing the collections from Berlin, Munich, Vienna and Zurich of the 19th and 20th century. The indices of the collections are analyzed according to the frequency of animal species, body parts, organs and disease processes or etiologies respectively. Collection differences allow to draw conclusions on the founder of the collection and historical significance. Each collection was part of a university and thus involved in teaching and research. This often ensured the continuous existence of the collections. Nevertheless, changing teaching methods made pathological collections increasingly redundant. A comparison with other university collections, such as those of the University of Zurich, show new application aspects for existing collections and required measurement are discussed.